Star Wars: Back to Bespin
by Donnamour1969
Summary: NOW COMPLETE! A Han and Leia romance set post ROTJ. After the destruction of the second Death Star, Leia must decide whether to embark on a new path with Luke, or follow her heart to be with Han. Meanwhile, Lando asks his friends for help reclaiming Cloud City, and the old gang embarks on a perilous mission back to Bespin. Set post Episode VI. Romance/Humor/Drama
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello! This is my first Star Wars story on this site, though I started writing Star Wars fanfiction thirty-seven years ago on my manual typewriter before anyone ever heard of the internet. It is a joy for me to be writing for these beloved characters again. This story takes place immediately following** _ **Return of the Jedi,**_ **and is my attempt to fill in the blanks between Episodes VI and VII. Canon for me will be mainly the movies, so if there is something out there that has already been done in a book, I probably don't know about it. Also, I haven't read much fanfiction in this fandom, so any similarities between this story and someone else's are purely coincidental. Thanks for giving me a chance. I hope you enjoy it.**

 _ **Star Wars**_ **VI.i: Back to Bespin**

 **Chapter 1**

Han Solo made his way through the dark forest to the clearing Lando had described, his hand light guiding him farther away from the chattering voices, flickering torches, and constant drum beats that accompanied an Ewok celebration. While he was anxious to examine the _Falcon_ after her recent battle with the second Death Star, it was also good to have some time alone to decompress from his own fight here on Endor. It had been a good day for the Alliance, but a revelatory one for him, the ramifications of which would require some time to process.

Lando had helpfully left on the running lights of Han's ship and the entry ramp down (though he would clearly have to talk to the man about his casualness when it came to his baby's security), and after he moved aside the limb of a pine tree, the _Millennium Falcon_ rose suddenly before him, like an ancient monolith in the midst of the primeval forest. _Luke would get a kick out of that characterization_ , he thought in amusement. The kid never seemed to tire of pointing out how battered and old his ship was.

Before Han went inside, he shone the light around the sides and top of the ship, frowning at the dark laser marks that spoke to near-misses, at the few new scrapes across the beloved grey metal, but, most disturbing of all, the missing sensor dish that had once been lovingly installed on the top hull.

"You're gonna pay for that one, pal," he said aloud, though he'd left Lando back at the Ewok village, gnawing on the roasted leg of some unfamiliar bird, Chewie beside him, working on his third. With a last shake of his head, he trotted up the ramp. Fortunately for Lando, inside he found nothing amiss, and he entered his trusty cockpit, where he fell gratefully into the pilot's chair that perfectly conformed to his backside. He leaned back and closed his eyes with a sigh, reveling in the familiar comfort. This would always be home to him, the place where he did most of his deepest thinking. Naturally, his thoughts drifted immediately to Leia.

The last he had seen of her, Luke had drawn her away from the party to speak with her in private, and it was a relief that for once he felt no jealousy where the younger man was concerned. He and Luke had shared an understanding smile, and rather than dwell on the loss he felt as Leia left his side, he took that time to attend to his own personal business. He knew Leia had many questions for her brother.

 _Her brother_.

It boggled the mind.

Han had had his own time alone with Leia after the battle, when he'd insisted the medical droid attend to her wounded arm beyond Han's rudimentary field dressing. He'd come with her to the privacy of the hut the Ewoks had lent her for her personal use, had helped her off with her Alliance uniform shirt. She'd barely flinched with pain. He'd suffered plenty of his own laser blast wounds over the years, and he knew they hurt like hell. His princess was a brave soldier though, and had only squeezed his hand once as the droid spread bacta gel on the black hole in her upper arm. A shot of painkill did the trick though, and the lines between her brows smoothed considerably. The droid finished up with a fresh bandage, leaving Han alone with Leia in an enticing state of undress.

Her plain white, Alliance-issue undershirt revealed delicate but capable white shoulders and the outline of surprisingly full breasts which a few warm hugs and a formal gown or two had merely hinted at. His mouth went dry and he quickly looked away, focusing on a strange work of Ewok art that hung on the wall. Were those hellbird feathers?

This was dangerous territory, being alone with her like this, especially since he'd been without a woman since—well, since he'd met Leia on the first Death Star. He'd known instinctively that, despite her worldly bravado, she was an innocent where men were concerned, and their first kisses had confirmed it. He'd rightly deduced that with her duties as a princess, and a leader in the Rebellion, she'd had little time for romantic entanglements, and since he'd met her, he'd personally had no desire for anyone else. Her strength and her bravery and her sharp tongue had been more than enough for him to this point, and though they had shared many passionate kisses, he'd politely kept his hands to himself. He admitted to being a little in awe of her. She was a princess, after all, and while her eyes had seen the worst the universe could throw at a person, there was still a sweet purity about her that he respected far more than his own base desires.

She deserved more than a quick tumble in his narrow bunk on the _Falcon_ , and she hadn't as yet invited him to her private quarters on Mon Mothma's command ship, so-

"You okay?" she asked him. He met her eyes and felt his face grow warm at the direction of his thoughts. He cleared his throat and held out her discarded shirt.

"Uh, here."

Never slow on the uptake, Leia blushed and took the shirt, but she didn't put it on. "Threepio told me the Ewoks would be honored if I wore the dress they'd made for me again tonight." She nodded to where the roughly made brown garment hung on a hook near the door. "I'll put that on in a minute."

"Oh," he replied lamely.

To his surprise, there came a mischievous, almost seductive smile to her blushing cheeks. "But if it would make you feel more comfortable if I put this back on—"

"No! I mean, do whatever you want."

She grinned and made no move to get dressed, and he sheepishly returned her smile, taking a seat next to her in an Ewok chair that was a decidedly snug fit for a tall human male. He supposed if she could bear this new intimacy, he could too.

"Anyway," he began again, amused at himself for being embarrassed at a pair of modestly covered breasts. "Big day today."

"You have always had an amazing gift for understatement."

"I find it to be one of my most charming qualities," he said dryly.

She gave an unprincess-like snort but didn't comment on that. "But yes, the destruction of the Death Star, the death of the Emperor, will mean the galaxy will be thrown into a state of chaos. Who knows how the remnants of the Imperials will react. Somehow, I don't think they will be throwing down their arms and surrendering. We still have a long fight ahead, but I think this will mean we will find more support from systems that have been reluctant to join our cause."

Of course, Leia would be thinking first, last, and always about the damned Rebel Alliance.

"Actually, I was thinking more about the fact that Luke is your brother, that people have probably been lying to you about it your whole life."

She paled, and he immediately regretted his sharp words. "I'm sorry. This is none of my business."

She reached for his hand, her brown eyes large and troubled. "No. You're right. The truth is, I've been trying not to think about it. I had to push it out of my mind to focus on the battle today, and now, well, I don't know where to begin to take it all in. I have a brother. But there's more to it than that, more than I have told you. I'm actually afraid of how you'll react to this. It's not something I'm particularly proud of."

He held her small hand, looked down in wonder at the way it disappeared completely between his two larger ones. He met her eyes. "You should know by now you can tell me anything, sweetheart. My past is certainly nothing to brag about."

"Though you often do," she said with a twinkle.

"Just the stuff that makes me look good. But you're changing the subject again."

She sighed. "I am, aren't I." She summoned her courage and he watched a _here goes nothing_ expression flit across her lovely features. "Luke is my brother, Han, but that's not all. Our father is—Darth Vader."

All his years bluffing at the Sabaac table still couldn't have stopped his immediate reaction of horror.

She laughed without humor. "Yeah, I felt the same way."

"That's gotta be—blast it—your father is _Vader_?" He said in disbelief, releasing her hand and rising to his feet, where he began prowling anxiously around the small hut. "Same monster who is responsible for millions of deaths, for inflicting terror across the galaxy, not to mention that he killed Ben Kenobi, cut off Luke's hand, and had _me_ encased in carbonite? _That_ was your daddy? Holy sith."

"Yes," she whispered.

He realized belatedly that his outburst had only hurt and shamed her, though none of what Vader had done was her fault. He felt immediately contrite, and returned to his seat beside her.

"I'm sorry. You can't help who your parents are."

"I know that, but there are still so many unanswered questions. I hope Luke can fill me in later; I have a feeling he's known about this for a while. He was trying to protect me, I'm sure."

Han bit his tongue. He'd had it with the secrets and lies that came with being a Jedi. Ben Kenobi had obviously lied to Luke and Leia alike. He'd bet his last credit that Vader had been the one to tell Luke what the dead Jedi hadn't had the guts to tell him, himself. He should have learned about it from someone who really cared about him.

"You deserved to know the truth."

"Maybe," she said. "But I doubt if that would have changed anything. I certainly didn't need to have any emotional conflicts in my dealings with Vader. It was easier to have hated him for all he had done. Throwing father issues into the mix wouldn't have been very productive." She gave a small, rueful smile.

"No, I guess not."

They were both silent a moment, Han still trying to absorb all that she had said. How would this information affect her life now? Or his? Would she become a Jedi, like Luke? Would her training take her away from him? From what he knew of the Jedi religion, they couldn't marry and have children, lived more like light saber wielding monks—not that he was ready for marriage or anything, he was quick to remind himself. Obviously, Vader had been an exception to the Jedi celibacy rule, though perhaps he'd been kept in the dark too about Luke, otherwise he wouldn't have left his untrained progeny to languish in the desert wilderness of Tatooine all those years, or allow his daughter to join a rebellion against him. Still, given Leia's new family ties, the possibility of her choosing the Force over him was decidedly painful to Han, and he felt a kind of quiet desperation building inside of him.

It was Leia who broke the heavy silence. "Oddly, my biggest question is, who was my real mother? I mean, I knew I was adopted, but no one told me about my biological mother. I had images in my mind of a woman whom I assumed was my real mother, but maybe I just made them up to comfort myself."

She shook her head. "Is my real mother alive out there somewhere, pining for her lost children? I have no idea. It never bothered me before that I am not really a princess by blood, but suddenly, it does now. I should have been with Luke, growing up on Tatooine alongside him, working my fingers to the bone on the moisture farm. It wasn't fair to him, that I was raised in comfort and luxury, while he—"

She reached up and dashed away a frustrated tear. "Hey," Han said, catching her hand again. "Neither of you is to blame for this. Ben Kenobi and probably your adopted father threw this plan together to separate you, to keep you from your real father. I get it, though. If you and Luke had been allowed to be raised by Vader…" He shuttered a little at the thought of what the siblings might have become under the dark lord's tutelage.

"Yeah," she said. "I thought of that too."

"And by the way," he said, lifting her hand to his lips. "You are still a princess through and through, I have no doubt about that." His eyes were gently amused, memories of the various monikers he'd teased her with over the years still very fitting of her royal bearing. He had no plans to stop, either, regardless of the truth. As if reading his mind, she raised a haughty, very majestic eyebrow.

He chuckled, and impulsively leaned forward to kiss her mouth. Her hand slipped into his hair, and he deepened the kiss, the brief panic of a moment before feeding his passion. He drew away from her after a few moments, breathless, and rose to his feet before he did something she might regret later. With all that was going on in her life right now, the last thing she needed was a love-starved Corellian pawing at her.

"I'll uh, let you get ready. From what I've heard, our fuzzy little hosts are planning a huge feast. As long as _I'm_ not on the menu, I'll be happy to oblige them."

She grinned, remembering too how he'd narrowly escaped a roasting when they'd first met the Ewoks.

"Okay. I'll see you in a bit. And Han—" he paused at the door of the hut—"thank you for listening. I-I'm not used to sharing my thoughts—with anyone. I'm glad you're here." Her face suddenly brightened. "And despite my personal crisis, this _has_ been a big day, and we deserve to celebrate it."

He returned her smile. "Whatever you say, Your Worshipfulness." _That_ titlehad been a particular favorite of his.

He narrowly escaped the balled up shirt she threw his way, and he ducked through the low door, closing it in time to hear it hit the wood with a soft _thunk_.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Han awoke with a start at the distant sound of Lando Calrissian's smooth voice calling his name. He'd fallen asleep in his captain's chair, more exhausted than he'd realized.

"In here," he called back. He sat up as he heard the cockpit door slide open.

"Hey," said Lando. "I figured I'd find you here, inspecting this old hunk of junk. Except for that dish I lost—"

"And that you'll pay for," Han finished for him, so there would be no doubt. "Yeah, you're in the clear. I guess I can forgive you the other extraneous damage, given how you helped destroy the Death Star and all."

Lando settled into the co-pilot's seat. "Yeah, Luke and Wedge officially welcomed me to the club."

"It's a very exclusive one, with a long and glorious past," said Han smugly.

Lando smiled. "Had enough of the Ewoks for one day?"

Han shrugged. He could have told him the news of Leia and Luke's parentage, but it wasn't his secret to share. Evading the company of the Ewoks seemed like a good enough excuse for seeking refuge on the _Falcon_.

"Aside from the fact that they smell like a wet Wookie, they're pretty good in a fight. I certainly wouldn't want to be on their enemies list."

"That's what I heard. But if they ever decide to fight anyone again, their first line of defense should be that truffle berry wine they make. That stuff could take the wallow-tar off a Gundark's hide."

Han chuckled. "One sip of that vile brew and I poured it out behind the nearest tree. Give me Corellian spiced ale anytime, old friend. Speaking of which-" He swiveled his chair around and pressed what appeared to be merely a flat space in the wall. To Lando's surprise, a hidden drawer slid open, a puff of cold mist escaping. From the refrigerated depths, Han removed a familiar bottle. He uncorked it, took a healthy swig of the purple potable, and passed it to his current copilot. Lando's eyes widened in delight and he downed a few swallows himself. The surprisingly warm liquor burned first in his throat, then turned cold on the way down. Both men shivered at the welcome sensation.

"I like your improvements to my ship," Lando commented, nodding to the secret drawer. Han didn't even take the bait anymore. The _Falcon_ was Han's ship now, with his indelible stamp of ownership on every replaced part of the old freighter, especially with touches like a hidden ale drawer. He loved it more than Lando ever had, though when he'd piloted it into the bowels of the Death Star, Lando had felt a few twinges of nostalgia.

"So, I'm surprised you were out here alone, given how lovely Leia is looking this evening," Lando ventured, after a few more drinks of ale.

Han's eyes narrowed as he took the last swig from the bottle. "Yeah, well, you keep your eyes to yourself, smooth talker. She's not that kind of princess."

"You know this for a fact, or are you too scared to make a move?"

His words were so close to the truth that it took a moment for Han to find a suitably annoyed reply, though it was lame by his usual standards. "That, is none of your business."

Lando laughed knowingly. "Poor Han; it's worse than I thought. Man, you must be losing your touch. I remember when it just took a snap of your fingers to get any female you wanted to follow you back to your bed or berth, whatever the case was at the time. They weren't all pleasure girls either."

"They were _rarely_ pleasure girls," Han clarified darkly. He'd never needed to pay any woman for sex, and even the prostitutes gave him one on the house if he was feeling desperate. "As a matter of fact, _they_ usually asked to pay _me_ when it was over," he added.

Lando rolled his eyes at that obvious exaggeration. "Yeah, right. Well, I wouldn't hold back on Leia much longer; she might get bored and look elsewhere for someone to meet her needs." Lando was looking at his perfectly manicured nails, clearly nominating himself for the job.

Han felt himself tense in his seat, but he knew Lando was just trying to rile him up. It pleased him to no end to get Han to lose his cool. He wasn't about to give him the satisfaction this time.

"Good luck with that, pal," Han managed with a convincing tone of confidence. "She loves me, as she has told me on several occasions. And when the time is right, I'll make her feel one with _my_ Force, if you know what I mean."

Lando chuckled. "All right, all right; cool your jets. I'm just kidding. I can tell how much you two kids care about each other, and I can see why you would want to take things slow and do things right with this woman. She's way above your pay grade, however."

"Don't I know it," Han said truthfully. No question Leia had always been and always would be too good for the likes of him. "But I'd like to point out that _you_ haven't exactly been overwhelmed with feminine company lately."

"Well in case you haven't noticed, the Alliance isn't exactly a hotbed of the fairer sex—at least not those compatible with humans. Just one of the reasons I'd like to get back home."

Han turned to him, all semblance of teasing gone. "You don't mean Bespin, do you?"

"Yeah. But when I return to Cloud City, I'd like it to be for more than just a visit."

"You want to liberate it," Han said. Though they hadn't discussed this before, it wasn't a surprise to him. Lando had built a successful business before Han, Leia and Luke had come along, inviting the Empire in. Han had long forgiven Lando for the deal he'd made with Vader, though he would have the carbon-freeze scars as a lifelong reminder. He wasn't so sure Lando wasn't still holding on to the disappointment of losing his business.

"You're hoping the Alliance will help you with this, given your recent successful turn as a general."

Lando nodded. "I'd like to approach Mon Mothma, but I'm not sure how my request might be taken."

Han shrugged. "Worst case scenario, she says no. But even if she gives you ships and a team, no way the Imperial holdouts garrisoned there are going to give up that treasure so easily. If the mines are still producing, they'll need them more than ever now to buck up their remaining forces."

Tibanna gas was valuable in boosting the power of weapons, from blasters to ion cannons, and in Han's opinion, no way would the Imperials abandon those mines just because their top two leaders were gone. There would always be someone who would want control of such a powerful resource.

"Actually, I was just coming to the Falcon to use your long-range communicator. I've kept in touch with Lobot these last several months, and I was curious to hear how things are going on Bespin since news of the Emperor's demise has likely spread faster than a meteor shower."

Han got up from his seat so Lando could use the com speaker. "Here. Knock yourself out. And for what it's worth, I'll be happy to join you. We're on a roll here, and getting Bespin back for the Alliance would be quite a coup." As a wayward thought occurred to him, Han looked down at his longtime friend suspiciously. "You _would_ give it over to the Alliance, right?"

"Of course," said Lando, meeting his eyes innocently. "I still owe them for taking me in, when they could have had me shot for helping Vader nearly kill you, or for allowing the mines to fall under Imperial control. But they didn't. They forgave me and gave me a generalship in the Rebel fleet, of all things. I'm done trading on my loyalties, Han. I swear to you."

Han nodded, choosing to believe him. "Good," he said. "Just lock the _Falcon_ up when you leave, will ya? I'm going back to the party to fill up on roast whatever and curl up and sleep for a century under some warm grazer fur blankets."

"Alone?" Lando asked, landing one last dig.

"Maybe," said Han, and with a wide grin, he grabbed his hand light and headed back through the woods to the beckoning fires.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Luke had pulled Leia from Han and the Ewok celebration, he suggested they take a walk in the forest where they could be alone and talk, away from the noise. They stepped in silence down a flight of stairs that spiraled around a tall tree, and in the darkness, Luke took her hand. He led her to a small bonfire a short distance from the village, and they sat before it on a fallen log. Luke took a stick and poked at the fire, stoking it a bit to clear his head and help him to find the right words to say to Leia, whose mind he sensed was roiling with emotions and unanswered questions.

"What happened up there, on the Death Star?" she asked after a moment. "I felt a sudden tension before it blew, then, a great sense of…peace. I knew that you were all right, that you too had found peace."

Luke felt himself smiling at her sensitivity to the Force. She had the promise of becoming a formidable Jedi.

"Your feelings are correct. The Emperor is dead. Our father killed him."

"What?"

Luke turned to look at her, saw the confusion in her face, felt the turmoil in her thoughts. "I told you there was good in him. I nearly died at the Emperor's hands, but then Father stopped him, sacrificing himself so that I might live." He took Leia's hands, his eyes bright with emotion. "He _turned_ Leia, from the Dark Side; it wasn't too late for him after all. He is one with the Force now. If you are very still and calm, you can feel his presence around us. Stretch out with your feelings…"

He willed her to close her eyes, to feel the Force flowing through her, to see what he had seen, to feel what he was feeling. After a moment, she gasped softly, and when he opened his eyes, he saw that she was looking past the fire at something that only a Jedi might see: the image of Anakin Skywalker, an old man now, his eyes bright blue with happiness as he looked upon his children. Luke let her control the vision, allowed it to ripple and fade in the firelight before disappearing altogether as her momentary surge of power diminished. He would teach her to control that, if she chose that path.

"That—that was him, wasn't it?" she said in wonder, tears now falling unabated down her cheeks. "He spoke to me, said he was sorry, said that he was…proud of me." She focused on her brother. "I always felt a darkness, a cold evil about Vader whenever I was in his presence. He did so many terrible things, Luke. But this kindly old man that I just saw, had no resemblance to that darkness. He was all—light."

"Exactly," said Luke. "That was his true self, the one that had been buried beneath the terrible weight of the Dark Side. The Emperor corrupted him, turned him. His anger made him vulnerable. I don't know what happened, but I do know he didn't know about me, or at least not where I was until I met you. And he didn't know about you at all until today. Whatever happened to him must have been devastating enough to make him want to turn his back to the Light."

Leia nodded in understanding, but the questions still swirled in her mind. "What about our mother? Do you know anything of her?"

He shook his head. "I have looked into the Jedi archives, but I have only found our father's name, Anakin Skywalker. It would have been against the Jedi Code to marry, so if he married our mother, it must have been in secret. Ben Kenobi trained him, as you know, but it is obvious something went wrong and he failed, losing Anakin to the Dark Side. He was still very young when he was turned. Younger than us, in fact. I'm sorry, but that's all I know."

"There is more _I_ can tell you," said the ethereal voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi. The siblings looked across the fire to see the ghostly figure of Luke's former master.

"Ben," breathed Leia in surprise, as he seemed to walk through the fire to sit beside them.

"Yes, Princess, we meet at last." He smiled at her in the familiar, slightly amused way that Luke remembered so well. "If we embrace the Force, we can sometimes see those who have left the physical world to become one with it. I have still been able to advise and help Luke from time to time. Now, perhaps I can help you."

"I have so many questions," she said. "This has all been a great shock."

"I can imagine," said Ben wryly. "But as for your mother, you have every reason to be proud of your heritage. She was Queen Padme Amadala of Naboo, and she loved your father, and her children—so much that she held onto life until you could be born. She died believing there was still good in your father. I am glad to say that she was right."

"But I thought Luke was older than me," said Leia, as realization set in.

"By perhaps five minutes," said Ben.

"Yes," said Luke sheepishly. "I guess I left that part out. We are twins, you and I."

"Which explains why you have always felt an even deeper connection even without Leia's being trained in the Force."

"But we looking nothing alike," protested Leia.

"You look like your mother, Princess, and Luke resembles your father. Padme named you both herself, by the way; her lasting gift to you."

"And when she died, you separated us to protect us," stated Luke.

"Yes. Yoda and Bail Organa and I did what we thought was best for both of you; indeed, what was best for the galaxy. I stayed on Tatooine to watch over you, but your aunt and uncle raised you well, Luke. They were your father's family, and they were happy to take you in, understood the need to keep you safely hidden. There is a certain hardiness, a humility that comes with being a farmer, and those qualities have served you well in becoming a Jedi."

Ben turned to Leia. "Bail Organa and his wife were good, loving people who could not have children of their own. For all intents and purposes, he was your father, Leia, and he instilled in you the wisdom and the confidence that made you the strong leader you are today. Your mother would be very proud of you both. I hope you can forgive me for lying to you, that you can see why we felt it was so necessary. Ignorance is a sort of protection in itself. Had you known your true identity, Leia, Vader would have sensed your thoughts and taken you just as the Emperor had taken him."

Leia reached up to dash away her tears, all of what he had said so surreal—even more surreal than the fact that a dead man was telling her this.

"Now, Princess, you are at a crossroads. Luke is a Jedi master now; he is skilled enough to train you, if that is your wish. You must think seriously about what you want, about what is best for you. Remember, a Jedi padawan must be completely devoted to the training, must give up the normal life of their kind. It takes tremendous sacrifice and strength of will; but then, you have already exhibited those qualities as a leader in the Alliance." He smiled gently at her. "And now, I must leave you to start processing all that I've told you. Whatever you decide, I will always be here to guide you when I can. Luke will teach you how to focus the Force so that you can see me."

He rose then, and disappeared into the flickering fire. The twins were quiet, each lost in their own thoughts, though Leia could sense that Luke's mood was suddenly more subdued.

"They did the right thing, Leia," he said at last. "But it's sad to think of all the years we lost. It would have been nice to have had a sister to tease." He tugged playfully on her long hair. But instead of making her laugh, as was his intention, she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"We can't dwell on the past, Luke," she said into his strong shoulder. "There's nothing we can do about that now. There's only the future."

Luke grinned against her hair. "You're sounding like a Jedi already."

She did laugh then, and Luke's hands came up to draw her gently away, to look intently into her eyes. "You're my sister, and I will always be here for you, like I couldn't before. Think about what Ben said; I will respect whatever you decide. I know you and Han—"

"I love him," she interrupted. "I'm not sure I could give him up."

"I wouldn't ask you to," said Luke. "You must decide that for yourself."

"Decide what?" asked Han, his voice sounding stiff, hesitant.

Luke of course had sensed his presence moments before, had known his friend stood beyond the reach of the firelight, listening without shame as they discussed a decision that concerned him too.

"I'll leave you two to talk," said Luke. He stood, then looked up at Han, torn himself that should Leia choose to be trained, it would leave his best friend out in the cold. He patted Han's arm consolingly as he passed, heading back toward the treetop village and what he hoped would be a long, dreamless sleep.

"Good night," said Luke, but he wasn't surprised when Han didn't wish him the same.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! (And a special thanks to those who followed me to this fandom from The Mentalist or Moonlight or any of the other fandoms I've written for** **. I really appreciate you!)**

 **I would love to hear what you think. Chapter 2 is coming soon.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for your warm welcome to this fandom, and thanks also for waiting patiently for this new chapter. I hope you continue to enjoy what I do with this story, especially the romance between Han and Leia.** **(And for those who expressed some concerns, don't worry; I always try to write happy endings to my stories.)**

 **Chapter 2**

Han lay on his back in the small Ewok cabin, beneath the furs he had been hoping for. On the other hand, this was a much smaller cabin than Leia's, even by Ewok standards, and when he spread out on the wooden floor, his feet touched one wall while his head nearly brushed the other. But it was wonderful to stretch out and relax his body, though his mind was still far from it. He kept replaying his conversation with Leia by the fire after Luke had left them.

She told him everything that she had learned from Luke and, crazily enough, from the late Ben Kenobi, whom she insisted was able to make an appearance to her through the Force. By now, Han was beyond questioning that mystical religion, and besides, no one could have made up that stuff about Luke and Leia being twins and their father a Dark Lord of the Sith; it sounded like something out of a holovid. Leia had been teary again, a state he was not used to seeing the strong princess in, but he supposed her emotional reaction was completely natural under the circumstances. After all, everything she'd ever known about herself had been turned upside down; he'd have been pretty wiped out too. He remembered the feel of her warm body against his as she'd leaned her head on his shoulder and wept, eventually drifting off to sleep while the fire burned down to glowing embers. He was content just to doze beside her.

She'd awakened suddenly, disoriented, snuggled to his side beneath his jacket he'd draped over her. His arm had long since fallen asleep, and it tingled painfully when she sat up.

"Sorry," she said, her voice sensually husky with sleep. "I didn't mean to do that."

"It's been a tough day. The fire's about gone out. Let me walk you to your hut so you can get some real sleep."

"Okay. Thanks."

They didn't speak as they climbed the stairs to the tree top village, and though there were still many revelers, most had begged off and headed to their own beds. They met Chewbacca, who was on his way back to the Falcon where he claimed in his grunting and growling language that their ship had the only bed that would fit him. He was also a little drunk on that berry truffle wine, and a drunk Wookie was not someone you wanted to hang around with. He hugged Leia, howling his adoration for the diminutive princess until Han had to step in and extricate her from hairy, smothering arms. Leia merely chuckled and gave Chewie a loving scratch on his neck. The damn Wookie preened like a molecat. There was no sign of Luke or Lando, but he assumed they'd been offered an Ewok hut of their own, or perhaps found a bed on the Falcon; Han wasn't too worried.

They stopped outside Leia's hut, the walkway empty and only dimly lit by a small torch nearby. She turned to him, and he bent to her, enclosing her in his arms while she stood on tiptoe to encircle his neck. She lifted her face up to offer her lips for his kiss, and he readily complied. Given his earlier thoughts and conversations about holding back on further intimacies, he'd intended only to give her a sweet, loving kiss good-night, but apparently Leia had other plans.

She was the one to deepen the kiss, entreating her tongue tentatively at the seam of his mouth until he helplessly opened to her with a gasp of sudden passion. He felt her breasts against his chest, felt her nails scratch lightly against his scalp. Her busy hands then slid down his muscular arms to his back, and he was almost shocked to feel them slide beneath the bottom hem of his shirt, cool and seeking as she caressed his warm, bare skin. He shivered and groaned deep in his throat. His own hands moved to her waist, then came to rest just beneath the curve of her breasts. He could feel the intense pounding of her heart, adding to the thunderous din of his own pulse in his ears.

She broke away for air, kissed her way down his neck to the tan hollow of his throat where his shirt collar lay open.

"Come inside with me," she said breathlessly, and he felt the hot wetness of her tongue all the way to his groin. He swallowed jerkily.

"I uh…don't think that's a good idea."

She paused and looked up at him, her eyes heavy with desire. "Yes you do," she said knowingly, her hands still caressing his back seductively. Standing this close to him, there was no way she couldn't feel how much he wanted her.

A slow smile spread across his lips at the sight of his normally staid princess, her lips red and swollen from their kisses, her long hair wild about her shoulders, pale cheeks tinged pink now with need. He loved her this way, and he was more tempted than she would ever know to push open that door and bury himself in her softness.

"Okay, you got me. Yes, I do. With every fiber of my being, as a matter of fact. But when it finally happens between us, sweetheart, it won't be because you've had an emotionally draining day that we both want to forget with an awkward skrog on an Ewok-sized cot. No, I'm going to play the sensible one here for once and ease up on the hyperdrive throttle."

She stared at him in surprise, then her lips quirked wryly. "So you're seriously turning me down?" But she sounded more bemused than actually hurt.

"For now. And yes, I probably am crazy, if that's what you're thinking."

If she'd kissed him again, he would have changed his mind in a heartbeat. As it was, he was holding onto his self-control by a very slender thread.

Fortunately, she merely laid her hand on his stubbled cheek. "On the contrary. Once again, General Solo, you've proven yourself a hero."

He rolled his eyes and she laughed.

"Anything but that, please. Nothing heroic about having to walk funny back to an Ewok hut knowing that I'll probably regret this the moment I get there. Just consider yourself lucky that you escaped in one piece."

"It's not like I was inviting a rancor back to my room…"

His eyes grew suddenly wicked, and he leaned down again to kiss her cheek just to the right of her ear. "Don't underestimate how hungry you make me, Your Highness," he whispered. She trembled, but he stepped safely away from her in time to avoid those dangerous, sneaky hands of hers.

"Good night, Han," she said, her smile soft and her eyes dreamy.

"Good night, sweetheart. We'll continue this conversation very soon, I promise."

"And next time, I won't take no for an answer." But before he could think of a snappy comeback to that, she'd ducked into her hut and closed the door between them.

He cursed under his breath in Corellian and limped back to his quarters...

…where he tossed and turned restlessly all night on the hard floor, regretting that he was spending it alone, just as he'd predicted. Sometimes he hated when he was right.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Morning in the Endor forest was filled with golden sunlight and a cacophony of bird and beast song. Han was an early riser, despite his mostly sleepless night, and he stood at the railing of the village, coat buttoned against the chill, sipping the hot, dark brew a female Ewok had thrust merrily into his hands. It was a little bitter, but it did the job of making him more alert. There were few people about this early, especially after a night of drink and merrymaking, and besides, the word had gone out that Mon Mothma had granted a day of rest to all pilots and soldiers. This was probably a wise move, given half the Alliance was probably hung over this morning anyway. If the Imperials wanted a rematch, they could have wiped out half of them right now.

Han glanced at Leia's hut further down the walkway, saw that it was still quiet. The princess apparently needed her beauty sleep, he thought with a smirk. He would go and run the _Falcon_ through pre-flight, do some diagnostics to see if there'd been some damage in the battle that Lando had missed. He imagined Leia would want to get back to work on the command ship that hung in space above the planet, and he'd be more than happy to be her escort. Endor was pretty and all, but the former smuggler wasn't used to sitting still or taking a holiday. He and Leia were cut from the same cloth in that regard.

Their hosts had spread a buffet of sorts on a long table in the common area. There was a large bowl of green and pink berries, a plate of cold, sliced meats, a rough-looking flatbread, and the tiny boiled eggs of some unfortunate bird. Han made himself a sandwich and grabbed a handful of berries, taking his breakfast with him with a nod and smile of thanks to the hospitable Ewoks. He'd almost made his escape when an annoyingly familiar voice called to him.

"General Solo, might we join you?" He turned reluctantly to the golden protocol droid, C-3P0 and his rolling sidekick, R2-D2, who met him at the bottom of the stairs. Artoo beeped a greeting.

"Sure, Threepio, if you follow my standing orders."

"Shut up and stay out of the way?" Threepio supplied for clarification.

"Good droid," said Han. Of course, as the pair followed behind him toward the _Falcon_ , Threepio immediately broke Rule Number One. Han sighed in annoyance and purposefully picked up his pace so the droid would have to trot stiffly after him.

"Master Luke did not answer when I knocked at his hut door, so he must be continuing to recharge. I had hoped we might ride with you back to the command ship."

"Why not," he said dryly.

The droid reacted as if he'd received a free trip to Pleasure World. "Thank you, General Solo! That is most gracious of you."

Along the way through the woods, they met Lando, who looked unusually determined for so early in the morning. Han stopped to greet him, Threepio offering his own cheerful good morning.

"Hey, I was on my way to find you," said Lando to Han. "I finally got through to Lobot last night. Turns out, the minute they heard on Cloud City that the Emperor was dead, Imperial troops began fleeing like womp rats off a burning sand skiff. Lobot says there's just a skeleton crew left to run things, and people are returning to the city from their exile to Bespin's nearby moons. It's ripe for the taking, Han, I know it."

"Good news, buddy," said Han sincerely.

"So you're still in with me on this?"

"That place doesn't exactly hold great memories for me, but I'm in."

Lando grimaced at his part in those memories, but he nodded his appreciation. "Can I hitch a ride with you up to the command ship to talk to Mon Mothma?" he asked.

Han grinned. "The more the merrier. Soon as Leia's up and ready, we'll take off. You seen Chewie?"

Lando chuckled. "Oh, he stumbled onto the ship late last night. I was up waiting for my message to get through, when I heard him knock stuff over and roar in pain before collapsing in his quarters. When I went to check on him he was snoring loud enough to wake the dead. He was still in the same position this morning."

Han shook his head. He wasn't looking forward to a hungover Wookie. "You'll probably have to be my copilot later."

Lando grinned. "That's a pretty safe bet."

"If you're hungry, the Ewoks have a pretty good spread laid out." He held up his half-eaten sandwich for emphasis. "If you see Luke or Leia, tell them I'm warming up the engines if they want to join us."

Lando lifted a sly eyebrow. "Might I find the princess in her _own_ hut, or did she find her way to someone else's last night?"

Han frowned, glancing at Threepio, the resident gossip. "She's definitely still in hers."

"Oh, I see. Sorry to hear that." But Lando's smile belied his words.

"Oh, frink off," muttered Han.

The two men parted ways, Lando's low laughter echoing in the forest.

"Well, General Calrissian seems in good spirits," commented Threepio as they resumed their walk toward the clearing.

"Yeah, he's a regular hold-full of space apes."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Leia awoke to swollen eyes and an aching arm, though she was pleased to find her mind calm, her usual personal resolve and stoicism firmly in control of her demeanor. She washed using the wooden bowl of water a kind Ewok female had given her, and quickly braided her long hair before coiling it about her head in a simple coronet. She dreaded putting on her soiled battle fatigues, but that was all she had with her. She allowed herself a brief moment to long for a lovely shower in the refresher and a clean set of clothes, before ducking out of her hut and joining Luke and Lando for a simple breakfast. They sat at a small table facing the morning sunlight.

Han was nowhere in sight, but Lando affirmed her guess that he had headed back to the _Falcon_. At least she was spared the embarrassment of seeing him so soon after her failed seduction attempt the night before. She blushed just thinking about it, and Luke's eyes narrowed perceptibly.

"It's okay to take things slow," he whispered to her as he sipped a mug of the steaming, unknown beverage.

"Stay out of my head, Luke," she said in annoyance, but he only smiled.

"Other than your love life, how are you this morning?"

"I'm okay. I've accepted the truth of everything, but I'm still a little disoriented about how different my life might have been if only…"

"No sense dwelling on that," he replied, taking a bite of bread. "You said it yourself, the future is what matters now."

"Yes."

"Speaking of which," said Lando, having overheard the last part of their conversation as he joined them with a plate of food. "I'm going to try to speak with Mon Mothma today."

"Why?" asked Leia. She ate a few berries. They were very sweet.

"I'd like to be able to take a small team to Bespin. I've been in contact with my man there, and he says the Imperial garrison has practically abandoned Cloud City. If the Alliance could have access to the Tibanna mines, we could increase our firepower tenfold. You think she'll go for that?"

Leia regarded him critically. It had taken a lot for her to forgive Lando for what happened in Cloud City months before, and she knew how important his business there had meant to him. Hatred of the Empire for his loss had been just as much a factor for his joining the Alliance as had his guilt over selling out Han to Darth Vader. Her father. She swallowed a scalding gulp from her cup.

"Would this mean you'd be leaving us?" asked Luke, way ahead of her.

Lando looked troubled by his question. "Only to manage the mining operation if I'm needed," he answered after a beat. Luke stretched out with his feelings, gauging Lando's sincerity.

Luke glanced at his sister, willing her to see in Lando what he had seen. "I'll back you on this, Lando," he decided. "What do _you_ think, Leia?"

"If Mon Mothma thinks it's wise, I'll support you." It was a rather backward offer, but Lando happily accepted it.

"Thanks."

They finished their breakfast in silence, each with the heaviness of their thoughts weighing upon them. They thanked their hosts, and Leia was hugged firmly around the waist by the little Ewok, Wicket. She ruffled his hair warmly. He was a brave little soldier, as had been all of the Ewoks. They had lost many of their own in the fight yesterday, but they would benefit equally from the demise of the Emperor. She wished them well, and waved up to them from the forest floor.

Aboard the _Falcon_ , she managed a shy smile for Han, who bent and kissed her lightly on the lips, heedless of their audience. He slapped Luke affectionately on the back and grinned as Lando took Chewie's place in the co-pilot's seat.

"Where's Chewie?" asked Leia, settling in one of the passenger chairs behind them.

"Sleeping it off," Han replied with a smirk.

"Oh my," said Threepio, at the entrance of the cockpit. "So nice to have the whole team together again." Beside him, Artoo beeped in agreement.

"Well, go strap yourself in goldenrod; the cockpit's full."

"Of course, sir, I—" But Han punched a button near the door, which abruptly slid closed between them.

"Why do you have to be so mean to him?" asked Leia. "It _is_ nice that we're all together again, all safe and sound." She reached for Luke's hand beside her and gave it a grateful squeeze.

"He always wanted to have a little brother to pick on," Lando answered for him.

Han gave a snort, then busied himself flipping switches in preparation for take off, as Luke met Leia's eyes and grinned.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

The flight to the command frigate, _Home One,_ was a short one, given that it still hovered above Endor, awaiting the return of all the Rebels from Endor while making repairs it had suffered in the battle. Han did have to maneuver through the dense debris field left by the destroyed Death Star, before expertly landing inside _Home One's_ lower hanger. Han and Leia were the last ones down the ramp, and he stopped her before their descent.

"Are you all right? How's your arm?"

"Sore," she said.

"At me or from being shot?"

She smiled. "A little of both. But I'll survive."

"Last night," he began seriously. "Well, I think I need to explain—"

"You don't. You were right. I was in no state to make any major life decisions last night."

"Wait. Could you repeat that for me please?"

She frowned in confusion, but complied: "I was in no state to—"

"No, what you said right _before_ that."

His meaning dawned on her, and her mouth formed a stubborn line. "You heard me the first time."

He took her gently but firmly in his arms, his eyes sparkling down at her. "Come on, sweetheart. A guy likes to hear those three little words every once in awhile."

"I love you?" she ventured, deliberately and frustratingly obtuse.

"No, the _other_ three little words." He punctuated his statement with a kiss to her forehead, a light peck on her small nose, before pausing over her lips, teasing her. "Say it." His breath was warm and smelled faintly of the same berries she'd eaten earlier.

She was trying hard not to laugh, but she managed an exasperated, "Okay, okay! You. Were. Right. Satisfi—?"

He cut her off by taking her mouth with his, the kiss achingly sweet and slow. After a moment, he raised his head and grinned.

"Now, was that so hard?"

Her brown eyes turned mischievous. "I hope those words will keep your warm for the many long, lonely nights to come."

She slipped out of his arms and walked smugly down the ramp, leaving him to watch her with a heart full of love and admiration. He'd let her have the last word… _this_ time.

From somewhere in the back of the Falcon, he heard the groans of pain and regret from a hungover Wookie, and he quickly followed Leia down the ramp. No way he was sticking around for that.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Forty-eight hours later, the command crews of both the spacefleet and the ground troops met in the _Home One_ conference room. Leia and Han hadn't seen much of each other the last several hours, given that she'd been stuck in meetings, replaying and analyzing the battle like a coach after a Gooth Ball match, so she sat between him and her brother, waiting for Mon Mothma to present her thoughts. Also, trickling in had been reports of the Empire's disarray upon hearing of the Emperor's death. No one believed this confusion would last for long, and to that, Mon Mothma addressed her crews with her usual calm, regal delivery.

"While we have much to celebrate, we are by no means completely victorious over our enemies. There are too many Imperials occupying many worlds and outposts across the galaxy, and it won't be long until someone assumes command and begins gathering the Empire's remaining forces together once more. But in this brief lull, we must not let the momentary advantage we have pass us by. To that end, General Calrissian has brought to me a proposal that would help strengthen our weapons and give us further advantage over the Imperials in future battles. Many of you may know that before the general joined the Alliance, he was the administrator of Cloud City above Bespin, in the Anoat system. Unfortunately, it fell into Imperial hands, but he discovered recently, from an informant that remained in the city, that the garrison there has all but abandoned the operations of the Tibanna gas mines, leaving them vulnerable for our forces to retake them, and begin to mine the gas for our own use."

Leia glanced at Lando in surprise. She hadn't been sure Mon Mothma would go for his proposal, but apparently he'd used his considerable charm to convince her of the benefits of controlling his old mining operation.

"And so," Mon Mothma continued, "I have asked General Calrissian to form a team to travel to the Outer Rim and take back Cloud City in the name of the Alliance."

There was a smattering of applause, and Lando was grinning from ear to ear. The briefing continued, and afterwards, Han, Leia, Luke and Lando met in the officer's mess hall to eat lunch and discuss Lando's upcoming mission.

"She gave me one small armed transport," Lando was saying. "And if you're still in with the Falcon, Han…"

"Yeah, sure," Han replied. "Who else are you getting for your team?"

"Mon Mothma said I could take anyone who was willing to volunteer for the mission. So, I was going to ask Chewie, and you, Luke and Leia, if you'd be willing to come with me. I'll take a few other regular soldiers too, but from what Lobot said, we could probably do this in our sleep."

Leia's eyebrows rose skeptically, and she met Han's eyes. He shrugged. "It's up to you," he told her. "I know how busy you are here…"

"Can I get back to you on this?" asked Leia, meeting Lando's eyes.

"Of course," said Lando. "But as soon as I get my team together, we're on our way. It'll take a few days to get to Bespin, and I don't want to wait too long. Don't want to meet with any surprises once we get there."

Leia nodded. "I'll let you know."

"Well, I'm in," said Luke. Leia glance at him in surprise, but she said nothing. Why he would want to return to the place where he'd fought Darth Vader and lost his hand, she had no idea. Same went for Han. That was not a happy place for Leia, and she remembered with a cringe how they'd tortured Han before encasing him in carbonite. But despite what she was beginning to believe were Lando's ulterior motives, the Alliance could use that Tibanna gas. Maybe if she went on this mission, she could make sure Lando kept his word about mining the gas for the Alliance. Either way, she'd have to give the matter some serious thought.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Later the next day, Leia boarded the _Falcon_ with her Alliance-issue duffle bag, before wandering through the short corridor to find Han sitting in the cockpit, going through pre-flight checks. She was still unsure about Lando, and equally concerned that taking back Cloud City wasn't going to be as easy as Lando and his cyborg pal, Lobot had led them to believe. In the end, she'd decided to go, if only because she had a bad feeling about the whole thing and didn't want Han and her brother to face what might come without her.

"Hey," said Han, happy to receive her soft kiss on his cheek. "You ready for this?"

"I guess so," she said.

He stopped what he was doing and swiveled his chair around to face her. "I know I once took you to Bespin blind, and that didn't turn out so great, but this is different. We can trust Lando now, and this will be a good thing for the Alliance."

"Hmm," she replied noncommittally, then: "Let's just say I'm taking a wait and see attitude about this, okay?"

He held her face in his hands and kissed her lips, then her furrowed brow. "Don't worry. I'll stay well clear of the carbonite this time. Fool me once…"

"Shame on Lando," she finished sardonically.

Han grinned. "I hear you. But on the bright side, you'll get to get away from your responsibilities here for a little while. It'll be good for you. Good for _us._ "

The com interrupted them, and Lando's voice came over the speaker. "You two strapped in," said Lando from his transport ship.

Han pressed down the com button. "Yeah, just waiting on Luke and my co-pilot."

In the background with Lando, Han heard a familiar roar. Chewie was aboard Lando's ship.

"Chewie, what the hell?" There was another smattering of Wookie grunts and growls. Hand frowned.

"I'm here too," said Luke. "We're giving you two a little time alone together."

"What?" said Leia.

"I think this might be a good opportunity for you to figure some things out, Leia," said Luke. Leia blushed. He wanted her to see whether she would be able to choose her Jedi training over Han.

"Well, this isn't really necessary," said Leia tightly.

"You're welcome, Han," Lando chimed in. Leia moved to the co-pilot's seat and glared at Han. He held up both his hands in denial.

"I had nothing to do with this, I swear."

They could hear Lando's chuckling and Chewie's laughing snorts over the commlink.

"We'll see you at the rendezvous point near Cloud City," Luke said, a smile even in _his_ voice, the traitor.

The link went silent.

"I'm going to kill them," grumbled Leia under her breath as she strapped in and automatically took on the preflight duties of a copilot.

Han tried again. "Sweetheart, you gotta believe me—"

"Just get us the hell out of here."

He shut up, but he couldn't help smiling in amusement.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You know," Han ventured, once they were clear of _Home One_ and the rest of the fleet, "A guy could feel pretty insulted at how horrified you were at being alone with me for three days."

Beside him, Leia closed her eyes, willing the Force to give her patience. "You know that's not why I'm angry."

He reached for her hand, smiling gently at her. "I know you were embarrassed by their little trick. It's really none of their damn business what we do or _don't_ do."

"I don't like people interfering in my life that way."

"I know; neither do I. I'll have a serious talk with Lando, I promise. But after last night, I would think you'd jump at the chance to get me alone so you can have your way with me."

Leia blushed anew. "Sometimes, I really, really hate you."

"I know," he said. "I hate you too."

But he was grinning when he brought her hand to his lips.

 **A/N: Thanks so much for reading. Please let me know what you think.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I continue to appreciate those of you who have reviewed as well as those who are reading out there anonymously. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **Chapter 3**

After the coordinates were set and locked in, and the _Millennium Falcon_ had safely jumped into hyperspace, the pilot and copilot sat silently in their chairs, looking out the as the stars zipped past them at dizzying speed. There had always been sexual tension between them, and now that the business of piloting the ship was done for the time being, that tension was an almost tangible thing in the small confines of the cockpit.

"I really am sorry about this," Han said at last, eyes sliding nervously toward his companion.

Leia sighed, then smiled ruefully. "It's not your fault, for once. We may as well make the best of it, and worry later about murdering them all in their sleep on Cloud City."

"Planning that could fill some time," he replied with equal dryness, though his heart skipped a beat at what she might mean by _making the best of it._

Leia actually laughed, the husky sound of it soothing his nerves, warming him from within. They both relaxed somewhat, the awareness settling back to its usual background hum. She stood and stretched, the stiffness of annoyance and awkwardness having made her neck and joints sore. Han watched her lithe body move, his gaze skittering away self-consciously. It was going to be a long, long flight.

"Hey, you ever played Sabaac, Princess?" he asked, a little too brightly.

"I've never really had much time for games."

He recognized a hedge when he heard one. "That's not what I asked."

"Yes, Han, I've played Sabaac. But it's been awhile."

"Well, in the interest of killing time, I challenge you to a hand."

Her eyes flared. "What are the stakes?"

He thought a moment, reluctantly disregarding the more lascivious suggestions that came to mind.

"Loser cooks dinner."

"Hmmm. Okay. Deal."

His eyes narrowed at her bland expression, and he had the sneaking suspicion he was about to be had.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Leia laid down her final face card, _The Idiot_ , and watched smugly as Han's jaw literally dropped.

This had been the tiebreaking hand, after they had each won one. Sabaac was normally played with more people, but Han had developed a modified game, so that he and Chewie could pass the time on long hauls. Leia's naturally competitive spirit had matched his, and they'd laughed and growled in equal measures when the game went their way, or a holographic face card suddenly changed without warning, ruining a good hand.

"You had to have cheated," he said in awe, rifling through her displayed cards on the blue and silver checked Dejarik table where they were playing. "Nobody gets a hand like that two games in a row."

Leia shrugged, sitting back against the booth seat in a very Wookie-like show of bravado. He looked up from the cards, meeting her eyes in grudging admiration. "I wish I'd known you back in my tournament days; we could have double teamed the dealer and cheated our way to victory."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't cheat. The cards just turned in my favor."

But he knew she was just trying to placate his ego. "I still wish I'd known you," he maintained softly, reaching across the table to hold her hand. She blushed.

"I was probably in the nursery when you were playing professionally, old man," she teased. He was nearly twice her age, after all.

He didn't miss a beat. "And I'm sure you were just as sassy back then, sweetheart." He massaged her knuckles absently with his thumb. "Sassy and beautiful—my two favorite characteristics in a woman."

She swallowed nervously, but couldn't look away. "Now you can add beating you soundly at your own games to the list."

He chuckled, loving her beyond words. "That sounds like a challenge to me; I know lots of games. Tell me, Princess, how are you at Dejarik?"

"But what about my dinner?" she protested.

"Double or nothing?"

Her face looked grim, but her eyes were smiling. "You're on."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You should be glad you lost," she told him later, having won easily in three straight games of holo-fighting monsters. "The closest thing to cooking I can do is tear open a field ration."

Still miffed at his epic defeat, he turned, spatula in hand, to where she sat watching him in the small galley. "You're just trying to make me feel better, while I'm forced to be further emasculated by cooking your dinner."

She grinned, then got up and walked over to him, her hands going about his waist from behind as he turned back to the frying pan. She rested her cheek on his back.

"Awww, you poor thing. Later, you can take off my boots and rub my feet, if it makes you feel any better."

She felt his back shake a little in silent laughter, and she held him tighter. He felt the warmth of her lips even through his vest as she kissed him squarely in the middle of his back. "It smells delicious," she murmured.

She moved to step back so he could cook, but he set down his spatula and turned in her arms. He lowered his head and kissed her sweetly, while the meat spattered in the pan behind them.

"You _taste_ delicious," he whispered against her lips. He dropped a kiss on her nose and returned to his task. Leia found her way back to her seat, watching in fascination as he finished preparing their meal. He seemed to do everything well.

"This is actually quite good," she said, as they sat again at the Dejarik board that doubled as a small dining table.

"Well, don't sound so surprised, Your Highness. Endwa is a Correllian specialty. Orange gravy runs through my veins."

"And the meat is…?"

"Well, normally it's Nerf, but I had to improvise a bit. It's probably best you don't know," he finished mysteriously. He brought a savory forkful to his mouth and chewed happily.

She looked in dismay at her plate a moment, shrugged in resignation, and cut off another piece. "It reminds me a little of the meat in Alderaanian stew," she mused nostalgically.

He paused. She rarely spoke of Alderaan. "You were happy there," he stated, "growing up on Alderaan."

She tensed, but he seemed genuinely interested, so she smiled a little, surprised to find that after four years the pain of losing her homeworld had lessened somewhat. "Yes. It was a beautiful place. I had a carefree childhood, with the best education and a life of luxury." She frowned, remembering her earlier thoughts of how Luke must have grown up. "I was very lucky," she finished abruptly.

So much for the comfort of nostalgia.

Han had watched her face closely, saw the play of emotions, the guilt there. He set down his fork suddenly and got to his feet. "Wait—I have something for you."

He was gone before she could think to protest, and she continued eating, listening curiously to the sounds of him back in the cargo hold, rifling through cupboards, shifting things around. There was even a small crash and a bit of cursing, but a few moments after that, he returned, carrying an achingly familiar bottle and two Tatooinian glass goblets.

He reverently set the slightly dusty bottle on the table and looked at her cautiously. It was Emerald wine from the long-destroyed Alderaan. She stared at it without expression, and he felt the need to fill the silence.

"I found this a couple years ago in the hold, and I remembered it as part of a trade deal I'd made long before we ever met. I was waiting for the right time to give it to you, but I didn't know if there would ever be such a time. I didn't know how you would feel—"

"Open it," she interrupted, meeting his gaze with tear-filled eyes. "Please."

He pressed a small button on the neck of the bottle, and with a soft hiss of released pressure, the cork automatically slid up out of the top. He removed it, letting the wine breathe a moment before pouring her a glass full of the glowing, deep green liquid.

With a slightly shaking hand, she raised her glass for a toast. "To the fallen," she said, and he knew she not only meant those from her homeworld, but also those who had recently died in the Battle of Endor.

He nodded and repeated her toast, then let her take the first, tentative sip. He had a moment to wonder if this had been a mistake, if she would break down and cry again over all that she had lost. What had he been thinking? But then she smiled and downed the entire glass in one long draught, setting the empty glass on the table with a decisive _thunk._ Han raised a surprised eyebrow.

"Keep pouring till I'm snoring," she said. "That's what my father used to say when Mother ordered this served on holidays."

Han chuckled, obliging her before drinking his own glass dry.

Half a bottle later, she was sitting in his lap in the cockpit captain's chair. They were both a little tipsy, and he nuzzled her neck and kissed the sensitive spot near her ear.

"I haven't drunk this much in five years," she told him drowsily, her head resting on his chest. "Are you trying to seduce me, General Solo?"

"You'd be surprised to learn that I'm not. That was the _old_ Han Solo."

"Hmmm. Tell me about him."

"You used to know him," he said. "Remember? You didn't like him too much at first."

"That's not true. On the contrary, I liked you entirely too much, and it scared me. But you're getting off the topic. Tell me about life on Corellia."

"You really don't want to hear this," he cautioned seriously.

She leaned away from him to look at his face. "Your past is what made you into the man you are today. The man I love. Nothing you tell me will change that."

He sighed. "Okay. You asked for it. I've been to Alderaan before, sweetheart, and Corellia isn't quite as beautiful as your homeworld was, but pretty damn close, at least in the countryside. I was orphaned and survived as a thief on the streets of Coronet before I picked up with a gang of White Worms. Let's just say it wasn't the highlight of my life, though it certainly toughened me up."

He paused, and Leia knew he was leaving a lot out, but it was his story, and what he didn't say told her just as much about him as what he shared with her. She ached for the boy he once was, who'd likely suffered much at the hands of those who would take advantage of children.

"To make a long, boring story short," he continued, "I eventually got offworld. By then I was a pretty good pilot, but the only way I could afford to fly a ship of my own was to join the Imperial Navy. Knowing my glowing reputation for following orders, you can probably imagine why I didn't last long there." She smiled a little at his dry humor, but she sensed that there was pain mixed in with the bravado.

She thought about what she knew about Han's homeworld. The shipyards of Corellia were some of the finest in the galaxy. Many of the Alliance's ships had been constructed there. But there had been civil war on the planet, when a rebellion against the encroaching Empire had broken out, and part of the planet had become allied with the Alliance. An Imperial garrison had been sent there to keep the peace and attempt to keep the rebels quiet. She wondered how he would feel if she suggested they help liberate Corellia, but that was a question for another time.

"So, those uniform pants you sometimes wear, the ones with the Corellian blood stripe? They're the real thing, aren't they?"

"Yeah," he replied with a wry grin. "They're not just a fashion statement."

She smiled, waiting hopefully for him to continue. He had never been this open with her about his past, and she found herself hungry to hear more. It must have been the drink that had loosened his tongue.

"They transferred me to the army, but I've never been one to work well with others, and my CO decided to get rid of me by feeding me alive to The Beast."

He chuckled while Leia's eyes went wide with horror. "Lucky for me The Beast didn't eat human flesh. He's always been more of a grazer meat kinda guy."

She saw the twinkle in his eye and remembered the only being she knew who could eat his weight in grazer meat.

"Chewie?" she said with a grin. "Chewie was this Beast?"

"Yep. He did beat the hell out of me a little, but I saved him from slavery and we both escaped. After that, well I couldn't shake the bastard, and I've been stuck with him ever since." He grinned in fond remembrance. "Around that time, I won the _Falcon_ from Lando, and Chewie and me got into the smuggling business. The rest you pretty much know."

She snuggled closer to him. "I'm sure you're leaving a lot of stuff out."

"Maybe a little. I'll have to write my memoirs someday."

Her hand had been resting on his stomach, and the slow, absent caresses were beginning to make him forget his resolve. He took the wayward hand gently in his, but her other one had snuck up to his neck, and she pulled him down for a kiss.

It started slowly, but as usual, quickly built in passion. The wine and the intimate conversation had dulled his resistance, for soon he was standing up, lifting her to sit before him on the control panel. A few warning lights flashed, but Han merely readjusted where she sat and reached round to flip off the buttons she'd inadvertently pushed, his mouth still fused to hers. At this level, they were nearly the same height, and Han's hands roamed freely over her body, cupping her breasts, deepening the kiss until his heartbeat thundered in his brain.

Leia was nearly mindless herself, wrapping her legs around his waist and pulling him closer. When one of them struck the hyperdrive lever, sirens blared, and the Falcon shifted violently. Instantly alert, Han set Leia on her feet and his hands flew over the controls while Leia dropped bonelessly into the co-pilot's chair, breathing heavily, eyes hooded with arousal while Han fixed the near catastrophe they'd caused.

Finally, he sat down himself, wiping the sweat from his brow with his sleeve.

"Well, that was interesting," he said, glancing in amusement at his companion. She was still flushed and perspiring, herself, and while the emergency had brought him briefly out of his sexual haze, he still wanted her more than ever.

" _Reckless_ is a better term. We could have gotten ourselves killed."

"Ah, but what a way to go." His eyebrows waggled comically.

She rolled her eyes. "Not a very honorable way though, for two leaders of the Alliance."

"But Lando would sure have fun at the funeral."

Leia shook her head. "On that note, I think I'll hit the refresher and go to bed. That wine is giving me a headache. Where do you want me to sleep?"

He stared at her meaningfully, and she blushed anew. He grinned wickedly, but decided to have mercy on them both.

"I'll take Chewie's bunk; you can have mine. I'm used to Wookie stink. Unless you want the crew's quarters and the tiny narrow bunkbeds..."

"That's okay. Yours is fine. Thanks."

"I'll leave you to it. I'm going to double check things here before I head to bed myself."

"Okay," she said. She stood and bent to kiss him lightly on the cheek, the feel of his stubble beneath her lips bringing to mind some very graphic fantasies. "Good night, Han. And thanks for dinner; especially for the wine. That was really thoughtful of you."

"You're welcome, sweetheart."

But before she could get away, he grabbed her hand. "I love you," he said, not caring that she saw the vulnerability in his eyes, that she would see that he would do anything in the universe for her.

The smile she gave him made his heart turn over. "I love you too, flyboy. Good night."

The cockpit door slid closed behind her, but the feeling her smile left him remained long after.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Despite his tiredness and the effects of the strong wine, Han lay in Chewie's wide berth, restless and frustrated. This couldn't go on, he thought in annoyance, and not just the sleepless nights. It was getting to where he couldn't touch Leia without reacting like a randy adolescent. It was beginning to get embarrassing. But what were his options? Stop touching her altogether? No way did he have the strength to do that, not unless he left her, and that simply wasn't in the cards either. He could take her virginity, running the risk of hurting her, or worse, regretting it afterwards. Or…there was one thing he could do that would be the honorable thing, where he could have her in his bed and bound to him for the rest of their lives.

And so, Han Solo, lifelong loner, whose last name had always been so apt, pondered the idea of marriage, a concept heretofore now that would have sent him charting a flight well beyond the Outer Rim. The funny thing was, he could see himself actually going through with it, with _her,_ even down to an elaborate Alderaanian ceremony, if that's what she wanted. The idea of waking up beside her every day, of being free to take her hand in public or kiss her whenever the hell he felt like it made him feel downright giddy. She would be his forever, even though he knew he would have to share her with the Alliance. But the Alliance wouldn't be sleeping with her every night, taking him into her body and making children with her.

 _Damn,_ he thought in wonder. _Who the hell am I?_

But the excitement soon left him when reality slammed him in the face like a flying Mynock. Leia was seriously pondering becoming a Jedi. It must have been the wine that made him forget. He couldn't ask her to marry him when she wasn't sure she even wanted to be with him beyond sharing his bed. It was a circular argument, one that would keep him awake and tormented the rest of the night.

The soft knock on his door froze him in his bed.

"Han?"

"Come in," he called, reaching for the touchlight over Chewie's bed.

The door slid open and Leia entered the small room, a long, shimmering gown covering her modestly from throat to foot, but the light from the corridor behind her put her figure in sharp relief, and he could see the outline of every curve beneath it. Her hair hung in a long, loose braid over her shoulder. He felt his mouth go dry.

He propped himself up on his elbow, painfully conscious that he wore only a blanket, watched her eyes widen as she beheld his well-formed chest, bare save for a smattering of dark hair.

He swallowed, willing his voice not to rise an octave. "Everything okay?"

"Yes…I—I can't sleep. But this is foolish; I'll go back to bed and let you sleep."

"Wait," he said, against his better judgment. "Come here and sit down. You want to talk awhile?"

She hesitated, obviously regretting her rash decision. She knew as well as he did that their talking these days usually led to other things.

"Okay." There was no place to sit but the bed, and he felt the feather weight of her body like a ton of Mandalorian ore.

"Were you asleep?" she asked belatedly, and he grinned.

"No."

She smiled back. "Good. Well, you know what I mean."

He did in fact. "What's bothering you, Princess?"

"You."

He smirked. "Well, I asked I guess."

She reached over to slug him gently, but her hand settled on the smooth, warm skin of his shoulder. Her hand caressed him, and she followed with her eyes the path her fingers made over his chest.

"I have a decision to make," she said, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "Being alone with you is not making that easy."

"On the contrary; maybe it's making it easier."

She laughed softly. "Now that sounds like the _old_ Han Solo."

He shook his head, suddenly serious. "Actually, this is something relatively new for me. I'm trying very hard not to be selfish here, to stay out of the way. You have to decide whether becoming a Jedi is more important than us, than _this._ And yes, in the grand scheme of things there's no contest. It's a safe bet there's a shortage of Jedi in the galaxy, and we need as many of them as we can to fully defeat the Empire." His lips twisted ironically. "Seems like from the moment I met you, I've been competing with Luke Skywalker for your attentions."

"No, you really haven't. It's been you, and only you from the beginning. I was always drawn to Luke, but now we know why. _You_ were the one who got under my skin, though; challenged me, occupied my thoughts when I was supposed to be thinking about the Alliance. If you'd kissed me the day that we met, I would have been putty in your hands."

"Before or after you knocked me on my ass?"

She smiled. "I guess we'll never know. But I guess you're right. Being with you _would_ be the easy decision. It's what my heart wants, but I'm not used to thinking with that particular organ."

They regarded each other quietly a moment, until Leia spoke again.

"Would it be fair to-to lay with you, only to turn to the Force the next day?"

"Why don't you let me worry about what's fair to me. You decide based on what you know is best, even if it's just your brain telling you what to do. If there's one thing I've learned by joining the Alliance, it's that I am not in fact the center of the universe, that things are much bigger than what we feel. If you don't become a Jedi, you might never forgive yourself if things go terribly wrong. You might even come to resent me, and I don't want that particular weight on my shoulders, thank you very much."

Her hand swept over his chest, settling over his strong heartbeat.

"Part of me—an overwhelming part—wants to climb in this bed with you and forget all my other responsibilities. My whole life has been devoted to this cause, and we are so close to succeeding. What if you're right, and my decision now determines the fate of the galaxy? I don't know what the hell to do, Han. Tell me what to do." Her face contorted in anguish, her brown eyes imploring him.

"Ah, Leia," he said, her real name sounding almost alien on his tongue. "I'm sorry, but that's the one thing I can't do for you."

She dropped her hand from the heat of his skin, from the steady, reliable beat of his heart. She'd come to some conclusion, he saw, and his mind worked frantically to decipher her expression.

"Would it…would it be all right if I slept with you tonight anyway? _Just_ slept?"

"Princess—" he began skeptically.

"I'd keep my hands to myself, I promise."

He chuckled at that. "I've been tortured before in the name of the Alliance; but what you're suggesting would give a whole new meaning to the word."

"Please?" she whispered, eyes glinting wetly in the low light.

He sighed, caught once more in the Arachnapod's web she'd so neatly spun around him.

"Okay, but turn around first."

"Why?"

"Because if there's gonna be any chance you make it out of this room untouched, you'll let me put my damn underwear on."

She flushed scarlet, her eyes dropping to the blanket bunched at his waist. "You mean you're—"

"As the day I was born. Now turn around before I forget I'm a changed man."

She stood and allowed him to get out of bed for a moment, the thought of him standing naked behind her more than she could bear. It took everything in her not to turn back, but then, she happened to catch sight of him in the shiny metal surface of Chewie's weapons locker. He had his back to her, and before he hastily slipped on his black undergarment, she caught a glimpse of firm, white buttocks. Han Solo was a beautifully formed man.

She heard the rustle of the bedding as he got back into the wide cot.

"I'm decent now," he informed her, but she didn't miss the irony in his tone. She turned to find him holding open the covers for her. Pulse racing, she joined him, the heat of his body immediately engulfing her. She lay stiffly with her back to him, nearly hugging the edge of the bed.

"Relax, sweetheart, or neither of us will ever get to sleep."

When she didn't, he wrapped his arms around her, drawing her flush against his body. She melted into his warmth, felt his mouth softly kiss her neck. To her amazement, she drifted off right away into a deep, dreamless sleep.

It took a little longer for Han.

 **A/N: More to come. If you liked this, I hope you will honor me with a review.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I started this story over a year ago, but got stuck and wasn't sure I would ever finish. Seeing the movie** ** _Solo,_** **which I adored, inspired me to visit this universe again. If you followed this fic early on, you might want to go back and re-read from the beginning (I know I had to). I also updated Chapter 3 a little, to reflect new canon information we got from** ** _Solo._** **The rest is unchanged.** **So, picking up right where I left off, here's…**

 **Chapter 4**

Leia awoke to the unfamiliar sensation of a man's arms around her, a firm chest against her back, a hairy leg thrown over hers. His body heat could put a thermo-unit to shame, and she could feel the clamminess of her own perspiration beneath her long nightdress. His face was near her hair, his deep breathing tickling her ear. It wasn't altogether unpleasant, for Han's masculine smell was intoxicating, and she felt more secure and loved than she'd ever remembered.

She must have shifted a little, for he growled softly and tightened his grip.

"You're too hot," she whispered.

"Hmm," was his sleepy reply. "And if you don't stop wriggling I don't think I'll be able to let you out of this bed."

But after a moment, his embrace loosened and she turned over in Chewbacca's bed to face him. Immediately, his mouth found hers, and be was pressing her into the pillow, his lanky body covering hers. She felt desire flow through her as he languidly kissed her, a heavy hardness pressing into her stomach. His self-control was admirable, for when he finally pulled gently away, she was still holding him tightly against her, never wanting him to stop.

He disentangled her arms in amusement, swept the sleep tousled hair that had fallen boyishly over his forehead out of his eyes.

"Good morning, sweetheart," he said with a grin. He playfully kissed her nose, then rolled away from her to lie on his back, his rapidly rising and falling chest belying his easy manner. In truth, a night holding the princess in his arms had almost been his undoing, and he'd experienced a new level of sexual frustration.

"Sleeping here probably wasn't one of the best ideas I've ever had," said Leia, her own voice breathless.

"I told you so," said the painfully aroused man beside her.

He was quiet a moment, trying to find the words to explain himself once and for all.

"My first time with a woman was an embarrassingly awkward coupling in the jumpseat of a stolen airspeeder. The only thing that made it memorable is it was my first time, and ended with my first time in a CorSec lockup."

Her eyes widened with surprise, then crinkled with humor. She rose up on one elbow to look at him. "You've got to tell me _that_ story."

He shook his head grimly. "Not a chance. My point is, I've been with a lot of women, and—"

"How many?" she interrupted.

His lips formed a stubborn line, and he shook his head obstinately, once.

"Oh, come on. More than five?"

One eyebrow rose in involuntary contradiction.

"Ten?" she offered, no longer finding this line of questioning so amusing.

He closed his eyes, unable to look at her.

"Twenty?" she asked dully. There was no sign of his stopping her, so she stopped asking before the number became astronomical. "You're kidding me."

"Not something I'm proud of, though ask me four years ago, and I would have been bragging about it," he said, opening his eyes again. They were light green and very serious in the dull glow of the auto-lights. "If you want to know the truth, I lost count long ago. Almost all of them were meaningless, a matter of biology or boredom. If it makes you feel any better, I haven't been with anyone since I met you."

She supposed it did make a difference. She would have been terribly hurt if he'd continued his womanizing ways while he was pursuing her at the same time. She sighed, turning to lie on her back, staring blankly up at the ceiling. Then she zeroed in on the tiny tidbit of important information he'd inadvertently shared.

" _Almost_ all?"

Han sighed. "I was young and stupid and blinded by first love. Her name was Qi'ra. But she betrayed me and burned me against anymore romantic notions or entanglements. Hence the string of nameless women. But that all stopped when a mouthy princess blasted a hole in a garbage shoot and jumped in head first."

He smiled in remembrance, as did she, though she wasn't buying his nonchalance about this Qi'ra person for a minute. There was definitely more to this story, and if she wasn't mistaken, there was still residual emotion he was trying to hide. Maybe someday he'd share more. Uncharacteristically, Han misinterpreted her silence.

"You're disappointed in me," he said, "because there have been so many. Look, it's not like I'm a Jedi or anything. I used to believe empty sex was better than no sex at all."

He'd certainly hit the heart of the matter with his usual accuracy. Choosing to become a Jedi would mean giving up mornings like this with Han forever, giving up his kisses and the more profound intimacies to come. She pulled the covers back and slid out of bed, trying her best to ignore a near-naked Han Solo in her desire to escape.

"Hey, where are you going? I'm sorry, sweetheart. Bad choice of words. If you choose to be with me, I want you to know that stuff is all in my past. I want _you_ now, and only you."

She turned before she exited Chewie's quarters. "I know that," she said. "But it might be easier for me if I decide to train to be a Jedi, if I—if we don't…" She struggled for the right words. "How could I miss something I never got to experience? If I lay with you, I know what my choice will be. I love you too much to be able to give you up after that. But if I do the selfless thing and allow Luke to train me, it will be easier to leave you if we never—"

Han stood up now, suddenly tired of trying to be honorable—it went against his nature anyway, he told himself. He hadn't wanted to put any pressure on her either way, but he wasn't the type of man not to fight for what he wanted. He'd have to walk a fine line between pressuring her and standing up for himself, standing up for what they had together.

"You really think it will be that easy?" he asked softly. "I've been in love with you since the moment I laid eyes on you, and we have never had sex. I've had a million chances to leave you, to go back to being a smuggler, to stay out of the rebellion business. It wasn't sex or even the possibility of it that kept me here. It's this thing between us, this pull that goes beyond whatever happens in bed, stronger than the gravity of a black hole, or even Luke's precious Force. And it's the same for you, sweetheart. You wouldn't have risked your life and the Alliance's limited resources to save me from Jabba if you were just lookin' for a quick tumble."

He was right, and she knew it. It wasn't just her overwhelming physical reaction to him that was making this difficult. They belonged to each other, she felt it in her soul, and right now, she felt no affinity to being a Jedi, no calling to it at all. The only thing that called to her was Han Solo's heart.

He walked toward where she stood in the doorway, his formfitting underwear leaving little to the imagination, his muscled chest and wide shoulders not intimidating her but leaving her with weak knees and a racing heart. His strong, slightly callused hand came down to caress her soft cheek.

"If I'm bein' honest, Princess, I don't want this to be easy for you. If I've learned one thing since I met you, the hard choices are usually the right ones."

She swallowed over the lump in her throat, the intensity of his gaze enthralling her.

"I uh, I'm going to use the refresher," she said shakily.

He bent and kissed her cheek, his stubble on her skin making her shiver. "You do that," he whispered.

She tore herself away from him and ran down the corridor.

"Don't worry about using all the hot water," he said to the Wookie's empty cabin. He threw himself down on the cot with a frustrated groan.

Xxxxxxxxxx

He gave her some space, occupying himself by doing a few minor system modifications of the Falcon and some post-Death Star scans he'd been meaning to do. He'd noticed some of the readings coming from the hyperdrive were a little off, but not so troublesome that they should drop out of hyperspace. Ever since their escape from Hoth, the hyperdrive had been a bit temperamental, and he hadn't had much time for any in-depth tune-ups since his return from the deepfreeze. Lando and Chewie had assured him they'd corrected the problems after Hoth, but no one knew the Falcon like Han did, and he was suspicious that any fixes they'd been made had only been temporary patches that would get them back into battle. After things were settled on Bespin, he'd give her a complete overhaul. There wasn't much he could do now, so he closed the panel covering the main control systems and decided to check the navicomputer in the cockpit.

As for giving Leia space, the freighter was pretty big, and he'd barely caught sight of her for several hours. He was trying his best not to be mad at her or their situation. But what was it with this woman? One minute she came on hot as a Tatooine sun, the next she was colder than a Tauntaun's-

When the cockpit door slid open, there she was, sitting in his seat, gazing sightlessly out at the streaks of light that zoomed past the window. As usual, all his anger melted away at just the sight of her.

"You okay?" he asked cautiously.

"Yeah. Thanks for giving me some time alone. It's hard to think when you're around."

"I assume you mean that in a good way."

Taking her mild manner as an invitation, he sat in the copilot's chair. She shook her head at him and smiled. "You are the cockiest man…"

"One of the myriad reasons you love me."

"Yes," she said seriously. "it is."

He took her hand, looked down at it a moment where it rested trustfully in his, at the smooth, blemish free whiteness. It appeared delicate and pampered, but he knew this hand could skillfully shoot a blaster or rewire a power coupling or expertly pilot any ship in the fleet.

"I have an idea," he said. "why don't we try to change the subject?"

"To what?"

He sat back in Chewie's chair, shifting to find a comfortable spot that wasn't molded in the shape of a Wookie's ass. "Well, our current mission, for one. The fate of the galaxy without an emperor for another. You pick."

"As for this thing with Bespin," she began, choosing the easier of the two topics, "I admit it's still hard for me to completely trust Lando, no matter how devoted he's seemed to the Alliance these past months. He risked his life for you on Tatooine, risked his life destroying the Death Star. But I wonder how much of it had to do with his desire for vengeance against the Empire for taking Cloud City, or guilt at what he allowed Vader—" Here she paused, a thought occurring to her that made her blanch in horror. "-at what my _father_ did to you."

Han immediately moved to the edge of the seat, looking closely into her face so she would really hear what he was about to say.

"Hey, what happened to me was is in no way your responsibility. It was all Vader. Besides, Luke said Vader changed at the end, that he saved Luke's life and killed the Emperor. In my book, that totally cancels out any time I spent in carbonite."

"Logically, I know you're right, and the Force knows I spent years trying to undo the terror that Vader and the Emperor heaped upon the galaxy, but when I think that I share the same blood as that monster, it makes me sick to my stomach. It's only started to sink in, the monumental importance of my parentage. Do I owe the galaxy a debt now, for what my father did?"

He knew she was thinking that one way she could repay the galaxy was by becoming a Jedi, but Han wasn't about to let her give him up because she felt guilty about Darth Vader's crimes. If she was going to get Jedi training, she should do it because of her sense of honor and loyalty to the cause, not some misguided effort to make up for things she had nothing to do with.

He grasped both her hands in his. "No, you don't owe anyone anything, Princess. But even if you did, you and the Alliance just wiped out the Empire's central command. I'd say you're even."

She wasn't totally convinced by his reasoning, but she let it go for now. "Anyway, back to what I was saying before…if I'm totally honest, I don't completely trust Lando's motives where Cloud City is concerned. You saw how proud he was of that place when we first arrived there. You assured me he had no love for the Empire, and yet he made a deal with them to try and hold onto what he'd built. Who's to say he won't cheat us out of the prime Tibanna gas so he can get things under his complete control again? Do _you_ totally trust him, after all that happened to you on Cloud City?"

He considered her words, saw the credibility of her doubts.

"I want to believe he's changed, just like I did when I chucked it all and saved Luke's hide at the first Death Star. From my standpoint at the time, I did it because of you and Luke, not for the Rebellion. That came later, when I felt respected for the first time in my life for more than just my handiness with a blaster or my skills as a smuggler. To someone who'd never had it before, that kind of feeling of self-worth is as addictive as Corellian ale…or the kisses of a beautiful princess."

He dropped a soft kiss on her lips and they both smiled. He was getting mushy in his old age, but his tough-guy image wasn't nearly as important anymore as loving Leia.

"True," he continued, "Lando hasn't been lucky enough to find someone like you that would engender the kind of loyalty your kisses inspire, but I think he likes the respect and power the Alliance has given him; it stokes his ego. I'll keep an eye on him though, I promise. If I see one hint that he's considering pulling something, I'll take care of it personally, okay?"

She nodded. She might not completely trust Lando Calrissian, but she was absolutely certain of Han Solo. He was about to lean in for another kiss when alarms started blaring all over the ship. Han swiveled the chair back around to the controls, a string of Corellian expletives falling from his lips as his hands flew over various buttons and switches.

"Check the navicomputer!" he commanded. "Calculate what we might run into if we drop out of lightspeed!"

Leia complied without question, scanning the screen for their current location. "We'll be fine! Go ahead!" She relayed the exact coordinates of where he should alight. They traded seats, and Han pushed a throttle forward, effectively stopping them with a jolt. The streaking lights surrounding them morphed into stationary stars, and a red planet surrounded by several moons loomed to starboard.

Han's eyes widened and he shot a look at Leia. "We could have slammed into that thing!"

She shrugged. "You always could stop the Falcon on the edge of a credit. I wasn't worried."

"Your faith in me has certainly improved."

She grinned. "If you can't beat 'em…"

He sat back in the pilot's chair, trying to catch his breath. "My daredevil ways must be rubbing off on you. Not sure if that's necessarily a good thing, sweetheart." He slammed an angry fist on the arm of his chair. "Damn hyperdrive! I knew something was up."

"Something you can fix?" she asked hopefully. She might have plenty of faith in Han, but the Falcon…?

"I don't know. I'm going to have to land her to be sure, cut off power to all systems, including life support, in order to reboot." He looked at the nav screen for himself. "Let's see if there's anywhere in this system we can put down and be able to breathe."

"Some imaginative stellar cartographer named that big red planet there Maroon."

"Yeah," said Han, reading the basic information about it. "It gets its color from some element I've never heard of, turns the oceans and the beaches deep red. The planet isn't life sustainable…but the fourth moon is."

He pointed out the cockpit window to a small moon that was half red, half green.

"It still has the red oceans, but the rest of the planet is dense jungle. There used to be an Imperial outpost there, but according to this, it's been abandoned for some time. No information here why. No intelligent native life, but humans can survive there just fine."

He pulled the throttle forward and headed for Maroon Four. "Jungle's too thick. Grab your bathing suit Princess; we'll have to land on the beach." He grinned wickedly and Leia rolled her eyes without comment.

"I'll send a message with our coordinates to Luke and Lando," she said instead. "They won't get it till they drop out of lightspeed at Bespin, but at least they'll know where we are. How much time do you think we'll need for repairs?"

"It'll depend on the damage. We're an eighteen-hour jump away from Bespin. Tell them we'll try not to be more than a couple days, tops. Hell, if things are as easy as Lobot claims, they might not even need us."

She sent the message just as Han slowed the Falcon and began descending into the moon's atmosphere. It was a smooth landing, and Han expertly maneuvered the ship high above the apparent tide line, only meters from the jungle's edge. The single sun shining on the red ocean gave the moon a pink glow, and as Han and Leia came down the Falcon's ramp, blasters on their hips, they squinted in the eerie light.

Leia took a deep breath. "Nice to breathe fresh air after two days of the canned stuff."

Han concurred with an appreciative breath of his own. The air smelled like any other place with an ocean-fresh and salt-tinged. They stepped onto the powdery red sand, the crash of the waves and the cacophony of strange birdsong and animal sounds almost overwhelming after the quiet hum of ship life.

"Can we just stay here for awhile," she asked longingly, taking off her boots and smiling at the first feel of the sand between her toes. She hadn't enjoyed a beach since she was a young girl on Alderaan. Han watched in amusement as she rolled up her pant legs, obviously preparing to do some wading.

"Don't mind me," he teased. "I'll get right to work."

"There's no hurry is there? Join me."

He wasn't used to seeing her this relaxed, this happy. It was like the beach had put her under its spell, and he was loathe to pull her out of it.

"Let me shut down the Falcon first. I'll meet you in a few minutes. Be careful, though. No telling what might live around here." His eyes swept cautiously over the nearby jungle and then out toward the shore, where blue, four-winged seabirds ran from the encroaching waves in search of dinner.

When he wasn't in space, Han had always been more of a land lubber. He could swim of course, but he'd never had much of an affinity for the ocean, and after visiting an aquarium once, he was horrified at the scary creatures that lurked beneath the deep. He'd humor her though, and seeing her so carefree was something he didn't want to miss.

"I'll be fine," she called, and trotted happily toward the water. He watched her a moment, grinned as a wave caught her by surprise, splashing her pants up to the knees. She yelped in shock as the cold water hit her.

Still smiling, he went back up the ramp, going straight for the Falcon's main drives. Shutting everything down completely had to be done manually, and he slid back panels to get to the correct levers and switches. He was just finishing up when the unmistakable sound of blaster fire reached his ears over the roar of the waves.

"Leia!"

He tore out of the ship, his hand automatically drawing his blaster as he ran.

 **A/N: It's nice to feel inspired to continue this story. I hope you are enjoying it enough to review. More very soon.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I continue to be grateful to those who are reading and favoriting this fic. Please, tell your friends :). FYI: This chapter contains some M-rated content.**

 **Chapter 5**

Han toed the behemoth on the beach that Leia had shot. It was a scary looking creature, longer than a full-grown Wookie, but nearly as wide as a young Hutt. It had a wide tail fin and a long dorsal fin, and its entire body glowed in rainbow iridescence. But what made it particularly frightening were its multiple rows of sharp, jagged teeth.

"The damn thing slid up out of the water and knocked me off my feet," Leia was saying as she shivered, both from her wet clothes and the thought of what the creature might have done to her had she not blasted it. A dark, smoking hole in its side attested to her expert aim and quick thinking.

"What the hell is it?" she asked, forehead wrinkling.

Han glanced from the dead fish to the drenched princess and grinned.

"Dinner," he replied.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

The Falcon would have to stay powered down awhile, Han thought, so, after sending Leia off to change out of her wet clothes in the dark ship, he occupied his time gathering wood and brush from the edge of the jungle. By the time Leia returned, her hair hanging loose and damp down her back, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, he'd created quite a pile on the beach, hopefully far enough away from the reach of hungry sea monsters. He used his blaster on low to start a fire, and soon it burned pleasantly, crackling, sparks rising and disappearing into the darkening sky.

He kissed her gently on the forehead, motioning her to sit by the fire. Taking the vibroblade from his belt, his sauntered over to the fish, the lapping waves already taking it back out to sea. Han had to shoo off sea birds who were anxious for a feast of their own, and, after looking thoughtfully at the bulky creature, he cut off the tough outer skin of its side to reveal a great bit of dense, pink flesh. He sliced off a couple of chunks and rinsed them in the sea before carrying them triumphantly back to Leia and the fire. She'd brought out a flagon of Naboo beer and a spatula and pan from the galley, and it was heating on the fire. He tossed the two pieces to sizzle in the pan, and soon the air around them filled with the delicious smell of frying fish.

Han sat in the sand beside her, and she shared her blanket, for the air blowing off the water was turning decidedly colder. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and he reveled in her warmth, in her nearness.

"It was nice to sit by the fire on Endor," she murmured, "but it's much nicer here now, just the two of us."

"What, you don't like being surrounding by little singing fuzzballs and ale-drunk Rebels?"

He felt her grin against his arm. "I'd rather be with you."

He turned his head from the fire and looked into her eyes, the firelight reflecting in their deep brown depths. He bent to take her lips, kissing her deeply, thoroughly, taking his time while his heart gradually picked up speed and his breathing accelerated to nearly painful levels.

The smell of scorched fish was the only thing that could tear him away from her, and he jumped up suddenly, nearly tripping in order to flip the fillets over in the pan before they burned.

He sat again, promising himself to be more vigilant. He caught her smiling at him.

"I wish I had a holovid of you jumping up to save dinner," she said, chuckling.

"Hey, nothing beats fresh fish."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Well," he amended, "there'll be plenty of time for _that_ after dinner." She shivered again at the intense look in his eyes.

When Han deemed the fish flaky and done, he wrapped his jacket around his hand and pulled the pan off the fire, setting it gently on the red sand. They were too lazy to retrieve forks and plates from the ship, so they ate the fish out of the cooling pan with their fingers, Han feeding her a particularly choice morsel, green eyes darkening as he watched her chew. They washed it all down with long draughts of spicy beer.

"That was delicious," Han said, laying back in the sand that blessedly still held the heat from the day. His hands rested on his satiated stomach. At that moment he was as content as he'd ever remembered being.

"Thanks for catching dinner. Old smiley was ugly on the outside, but sure mighty tasty on the inside."

"Hmm," she concurred, laying beside him, staring up at the unfamiliar stars, the light from the planet Maroon and its three other moons glowed an eerie magenta above them. The sounds of the waves and the night birds in the jungle were soothing, and she felt herself beginning to drift off. Han turned on his side to watch her in the flickering light of the fire, pulling the extra length of the blanket beneath her up around them both, gently laying his jacket over her for added warmth against the chilly night. She opened heavy lidded eyes to look at him, and what passed between them jolted his heart. He couldn't help kissing her then, anymore than he could help breathing, help loving her.

He slipped beneath the weight of his jacket to cover her body with his, telling himself in the back of his mind not to crush her, though the feel of her beneath him, so warm, smelling of sea air and tasting of spice was beginning to take away all reason. She kissed him back with equal fervor, seeming to revel in the heaviness of his body pushing her more deeply into the sand.

His hands moved beneath her shirt to cup her breasts through her support garment, and when she didn't push him away, he lowered her bindings and found her nipples, rolling them sensuously between his fingers. She moaned into his mouth, and he kissed his way down her neck to the _V_ of her Alliance-issue top, disengaging the fasteners and opening the green fabric wide to his hungry gaze. The coolness of the air on her bare skin made her shiver, and he looked into her eyes for permission to go on.

"Don't stop," she whispered. "I want this. I want you."

And in that moment, Leia knew it to be true, knew that she didn't want to deny herself anymore, that even if she chose to become a Jedi, she wanted this memory to get her through the long years of celibacy that came with the calling. And if making love with Han meant she never wanted to give him up, she was ready to accept what her heart told her was right. She owed it to herself—to both of them—to find out what she truly wanted.

His smile was soft with love, while his eyes blazed with intense desire. She watched his throat work against a hard swallow. "You sure?" he asked hoarsely. No way would he be responsible for her regrets, nor would he allow himself to have them. Turns out, he realized suddenly, it didn't really matter whether they were in some opulent bed fit for a princess, or on a Wookie's cot, or in the red sand of an unfamiliar world; what mattered, he told himself, was that he loved her, that he would make this good for her. And if their joining bound her to him, he would refuse to feel guilty about that. The galaxy would get by without her, but Han Solo was quite certain that he would not.

She answered his question by slipping her fingers into his hair and pulling his face to her breasts. His mouth replaced his hands and he suckled and caressed her, her small body bowing up with pleasure. She'd never known such sensuality as the feel of his soft hair tickling her skin, contrasting with his stubble gently scratching her sensitive flesh. She became frenzied and eager, her own hands pulling his shirt from his waistband, sliding over his finely toned back, before moving lower to his firm buttocks. She pulled him down to her, his hardness against her, felt delight at his strangled cry when he settled right where he most wanted to be.

Suddenly impatient, he sat up on his knees to pull his white shirt over his head, and her eyes feasted on the lightly furred chest, strong and very masculine. Both breathing heavily, she watched with sloe eyes as he unbuckled his belt, unstrapped the holster from his thigh, and tossed it and his blaster carelessly in the sand. Timid hands reached up to skim over the bulge in his pants, and he sucked in a gasp, though he remained still before her curious exploration. She found the hidden fastening of his pants, and meeting his eyes, slipped her hand inside to touch his hot, velvety skin.

It took everything in Han not to pounce on her like a Mynock on power cables, and he admirably controlled himself while she caressed his length, gripped him in her small, strong hand. He closed his eyes tightly, gritted his teeth, let her have her way for as long as humanly possible, but after a few torturous minutes, his trembling hand stilled hers.

"If you don't want this to be over before it starts, sweetheart," he said tightly, "you'll let me focus on you for a while."

Her skin as rosy as the red sand, she reluctantly let him go, and he covered her body again with his; her bare breasts against his warm chest felt almost unbearably wonderful. He ravaged her mouth with barely controlled passion, before resuming his quest to discover all of her. Soon two sets of clothes lay in a haphazard pile in the sand, and he lowered his naked body to hers. Finally, there was nothing between them. He kissed her, said her name adoringly against her lips, repeated it at her breasts, breathed it over her flat stomach.

His hand traced the dark triangle at the apex of her thighs experimentally, gauging her reaction. She was breathing heavily, but she didn't stop him. At the first touch of her most intimate place, she instinctively tightened her legs, and Han smiled tenderly. "Shhhh. Relax, sweetheart. Stop me whenever you want, but I'm pretty sure you're gonna like what's next."

His cocky words brought a sudden smile to her passion-glazed eyes. "You're getting my hopes up pretty high, fly-boy," she managed breathlessly.

"Don't worry, Princess, I'll more than deliver." And with a wicked grin, he parted her legs and lowered his mouth to find her core with his tongue.

"Han!" she gasped.

Her head thrashed helplessly from side to side on the blanket, her hands holding his head to her body as he laved and licked, flicked and teased, fingers and tongue working in tandem until she felt an uncontrollable wave of ecstasy spread from her center to all her extremities. For a moment she was frightened, never having felt so out of control of her own body. Her eyes squeezed shut, and she tensed all over as his mouth continued to work her to a fever pitch.

"Let go, Leia," she heard him say from what seemed like very far away. "Just let it happen…"

But by then she had no choice; her body had taken over, and it craved release. She cried out, and for a moment everything went black. It was as if she were floating on a sea of pleasure, wave after wave washing over her, lights flashing behind her eyelids, unintelligible sounds emitting harshly from her throat. She was trembling all over, but when his finger moved inside her, hitting a certain, sensitive spot, she went under again. She thought she might have screamed, but she couldn't tell over the pounding in her head.

She vaguely felt Han give her a last, tender kiss between her legs, before he lay beside her again on the blanket. She welcomed the coolness of the breeze on her fevered skin, her breasts rapidly rising and falling as she waited mindlessly to return to her body.

She didn't know how man minutes had passed, but when she finally felt some semblance of control again, she turned her heavy head to look at the man who had given her such unbridled pleasure. He looked even more smug than usual.

Well, she would show him smug.

He must have felt her eyes upon him, for he turned to look at her, his eyes sparkling triumphantly.

"See, I told you—"

But his words were cut off by her mouth on his, and she crawled on top of him, covering him from stem to stern. He growled as she rubbed against him, and she relished how he grew gratifyingly harder against her stomach. His hands went to her waist and he gripped her almost painfully, gliding her over him until neither of them could take anymore. He rolled her to her back again, raised one of her creamy legs so that she could better cradle him against her.

"Are you ready?" he asked brokenly, his own control nearly shot. She tensed, having heard that this first time might not be pleasant.

"Yes," she said bravely.

He managed to slow enough to kiss her gently on the lips, to look deeply into her eyes. "I love you," he said solemnly.

"I know," she said, her automatic response making them both smile at how much the words had evolved to mean something much deeper than either could express. Slowly, his eyes never leaving hers, he slid inside her body. He met her barrier, and, despite his shaking with the effort, he brushed her hair from her eyes, caressed her flushed cheek.

"I'm sorry," he said, before he moved forward with sudden force, breaking through as she gave a sharp cry of pain. "I'm sorry," he whispered over and over, his kisses covering her face while he filled her completely.

"I'm okay," she breathed.

And then she moved her hips up experimentally. He moaned and matched her movements. Before long they were both enraptured by an incredibly erotic give and take, a journey that had actually begun years before, in a garbage compactor on the first Death Star. Han, the more experienced one, in reality could recall nothing to compare with this. She consumed him and freed him, weakened him and empowered him. They moved together as if they'd been making love for years, yet it was wonderfully new, incredibly pleasurable. It was surreal for both of them, and their passion hazed thoughts echoed each other's.

 _I can't believe this is happening._

 _She's finally mine._

 _He's finally mine._

Suddenly the world exploded around them and they held onto each other through the storm, both shaken by the exquisite intensity of their joining, by the overwhelming pleasure that only comes when mind, body and soul become one at last.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Holy Maker," Han was saying as he lay on his back on the sandy blanket, his heart just now slowing to normal, though frissons of lingering tremors occasionally made him shiver in aftershock. "Damn." He laughed from deep in his chest, a sound of wonder and supreme fulfillment.

Leia snuggled against his side, her hair splayed over his chest and around her shoulders. Very un-princess-like perspiration cooled and dried on her skin, and she pulled Han's jacket and the blanket more tightly about them.

She smiled. From the sounds he'd made, along with his uncontrollable trembling, she would say it was her turn to be smug.

Inspiration struck, and Leia felt suddenly energized. "You want to go for a swim?"

"You're kidding me. You were almost eaten by a swimming grazer-meat grinder, and you want to go into the water? As romantic as that sounds, sweetheart, I'll pass."

She sighed, though nothing could upset her at that moment. "Then, can you power up the Falcon so I can at least wash the salt and sand from my body? I feel really dirty." She felt him grin and blushed at her unintentional innuendo.

His hand, which had been absently caressing her arm, moved purposefully toward her breast. "Hmmm, now a hot shower sounds a little bit more my speed. And if the fresher is big enough for a Wookie…"

He waggled his eyebrows at her suggestively before pulling her closer so he could reach her mouth, kissing her lazily, seductively. "I'd like the main engines to rest a bit longer, but I don't think it would hurt to briefly run some auxiliary systems."

"I love it when you talk _Falcon_ ," she teased.

He chuckled. Then, with a final smacking kiss, he rose from beneath the blanket. She was about to groan in protest, but the vision of Han Solo, naked in the light of the fire's dying flames, arrested her, and she stared in fascination as he stretched his arms over his head, his muscles (all of them) flexing with the movement. He caught her eyes and grinned that old familiar pirate's grin that she'd first fallen in love with.

"Woo!" He exclaimed suddenly. "That wind is colder than a wampa's ass! Give me a minute and I'll have the fresher online." He grabbed the bundle of his clothes and his blaster, not bothering to dress as he trudged through the sand back to his ship, whistling an unfamiliar tune as he went.

Leia lay where she was, trying to find the lingering warmth of his body on the blanket. She smiled to herself, remember how amazing she had felt in his arms, wondering why she'd waited so long to experience this with him, why she'd been so afraid. She wasn't fooling herself now. There was no way she would be able to give Han up, not even for her brother, not even for the galaxy. There were other ways she could serve and would. For once in her life she would be selfish; she would have something for herself— _someone_.

It was in that moment of realization that she felt a stirring in her mind, as if someone were hesitating at a door. She sat up.

 _Leia?_

It was Luke.

"Luke?" she said aloud. "I hear you. Are you all right?"

 _Yes,_ came his voice, and it was as loud now as if he were sitting before her. _What you want…it's okay. You shouldn't feel guilty. It's what you feel in your heart is right for you. The Force has called you to this place._

She blushed, wondering if he had known what she's been doing with Han. She heard Luke's soft laugh.

 _Well, I didn't know before, but I certainly do now. No, I just felt the shift in the Force within you, felt waves of happiness so strong that they found me all the way across the galaxy. And I'm happy for you, Leia. Truly._

"You knew this would happen," she said almost accusingly.

 _Always in motion is the future_ , he replied in amusement. She could almost see his shrug and knowing grin.

"Have you made it to Bespin?"

 _Yes, but I'm sensing all is not as it seems here. We got your message about the Falcon's hyperdrive. You two should join us as soon as you can. I have a bad feeling about—_

But it was as if their connection had suddenly been cut off.

"Luke?" she said. Nothing. She had no sense of him at all. "Luke!"

She rose awkwardly to her feet, grabbing her clothes and wrapping the blanket around her. Heart pounding fearfully, she followed Han to the _Falcon._

 **A/N: I hoped you liked this chapter. If you did, please let me know. I'd love some feedback.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I appreciate those who are still interested in this fic and who have favorited it or even left a review. Thanks for the support!**

 **Chapter 6**

Han had just reset the water temperature settings in the refresher when Leia appeared in the dim corridor he'd lit with a small portable power lamp. He stood by the control panel in only his underwear, his blood still humming after making love to Leia on the sand, as well as with the anticipation of having her again under the 'fresher's heated spray.

"We've got to try to contact Luke!" she said breathlessly, her hair a wild mane over her bare shoulders. Wrapped only in a blanket, her lips swollen from his kisses, her pale skin splotchy in places from his stubbled nuzzles, she was heartbreakingly beautiful. It took him a moment to register what she was saying.

"Uh, what?" he said, shaking his head.

"Luke," she repeated in exasperation. "I-I just spoke to him. I think he's in trouble."

His eyebrows shot up. "What do you mean you _spoke_ to him?"

"Through the Force. I've told you we've communicated like that before. But this time, it was more prolonged, and as clear as if we were using commlinks. Anyway, he was saying that something didn't seem right on Bespin, then suddenly I couldn't hear him anymore, as if something had-had stoppped him. I have a really bad feeling, Han. Please, divert power from the refresher if you must, but we have to try to reach him!"

His hands came to her soft shoulders, and he had to stop himself from sliding them up and down her smooth skin. He'd long since accepted that the Force was real, or at least that there were some things he couldn't explain logically when it came to Jedis.

"Okay, okay. But keep in mind the comm system comes from the main power grid, not auxiliary like the 'fresher. Using it could set us back…"

"Just do it, please."

He kissed her forehead and picked up the lamp, moving down the corridor to the cockpit, Leia close behind. He'd left the sliding door open before he'd powered down, and he walked in, flipping a series of switches on the control panel. Lights flickered on, and Han nodded to the built in commlink on the console that would open up the subspace radio.

"Have at it," he said. He hoped he didn't need to add, _and make it quick._

She sat in the pilot's seat, expertly plugging in the codes that would connect her to Luke on the transport they'd taken to Bespin. She pressed a button and spoke urgently into the microphone.

"Falcon to T-250; Luke, do you copy?" She repeated her plea a few more times, then changed from Luke to Lando to Chewie. But the comm only brought back silence and the faint crackle of static.

Leia looked up at Han, worry creasing her brow and darkening her soulful brown eyes.

"Hey, if they're on Cloud City," he suggested calmly from the copilot's chair, "they're probably off the transport. Why don't we try to reach the city's main comm station, see if we can track them down, or at least ask for Lobot? Worth a try."

"But what if the Imperials still hold the city? They'll know we're coming."

Han shrugged, knowing she was right. "It's up to you, sweetheart. A few more hours and we should be on our way. Nothing we could do for them now anyway, you know that."

"I know. I'm just so afraid something's gone terribly wrong. It would be nice to hear Luke's voice again to know for sure."

He took her hands from off the console and held her knuckles up to his lips. "I'm sorry, Princess. I'll do whatever you want here, but if you're thinkin' we should leave now, we'll run the risk of a total burnout halfway to Bespin. We've got to give the Falcon till morning at least, okay?"

She sighed, hating that he was right. "All right. I'll just leave another message for them. Hopefully we'll get a reply when we power up again tomorrow."

Han watched her speak her brief message to Luke, feeling her anguish, selfishly disappointed that Luke's Force communique had put a damper on their otherwise perfect evening. After she'd finished, he flipped off the power to the cockpit, and except for the lamp and the red light from the moons shining through the cockpit window, the small space was filled with shadow.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice interrupting the silence.

She leaned back in the seat, eyes closed. "Yes. I was just reaching out, hoping I could sense him again. But I can't."

"I wouldn't worry too much about Luke, sweetheart. He just kicked the Emperor's ass—not sure anything could stop him now."

She opened her eyes and smiled a little, as he'd intended. "Good point."

She leaned over and kissed him, thanking him for his support, for his comforting words, for his humor; but the moment their lips met, fire sparked between them and soon consumed them both. Her blanket fell from her breasts, and he held them in his palms, his thumbs brushing over their rosy tips as his tongue explored her mouth.

When her hand slid low on his belly, he pulled away from her with a small gasp. "The 'fresher's still waiting," he whispered, meeting her eyes in invitation.

"Lead the way, Flyboy," she replied with a sensual grin.

But instead of leading her, he stood and picked her up, the blanket falling away so that he now held a naked princess in his arms. It truly was the culmination of years of Han's very rich fantasy life, at least where Leia was concerned: her body warm and naked against him, in the cockpit of the Falcon. He paused a moment to admire his featherlight bundle, a lump in his throat.

"You are so beautiful," he said hoarsely, and even in the relative darkness, he knew her blush encompassed her entire body.

She reached up to touch his rough cheek. "You're not so bad yourself."

He grinned then, feeling so happy in that moment that it threatened to overwhelm him. He bent and gave her a quick, passionate kiss before striding from the cockpit with his prize to the refresher down the corridor. After pressing the button by the door with his elbow, he set her down, nearly coming undone as she slid slowly down his body. Her hands fell naturally at his hips, and with a shy glance at his face, she pulled down his underwear. He groaned as it became a little difficult to get them off over the heaviness of his obvious desire. He reached down to help her, his mouth finding hers again. They maneuvered into the enclosed space of the multi-jetted shower, the lights coming on automatically when they stepped inside. It was a tight fit, but Han knew there was more than enough room for what he had in mind.

"You like it hot?" he asked her, and she chuckled breathlessly at his blatant innuendo.

"The hotter the better."

He smiled in appreciation of her reply and programmed in the water temperature, adjusting the spray pressure to low, overriding the usual ten-minute cycle setting. The door slid shut, then, from all around them, gentle streams of hot water infused with healing, soothing bacta pulsed over them. Leia raised her face to the spray, pushing her sopping hair back from her face, reveling in the welcome rinse of salt and sand from her body. Han filled his hands with soap from the built-in dispenser on the wall.

"May I?" he asked politely, though his eyes glowed with wicked intent.

She nodded, her heart pounding in anticipation. Watching her expression closely, he began to bathe her with utmost care and thoroughness, while she moaned and cried out softly at his touch. Somehow, it was even more erotic than their tryst on the beach, especially when his soapy fingers slipped between her legs, washing tenderly the sensitive flesh and the remnants of their first time together. Soon, however, his touch became less gentle and Leia's knees nearly gave way as she peaked and shuddered against his hand. He pulled her against is wet body so that she wouldn't collapse, her panting release arousing him even more.

He didn't give her time to recover before he reached down, lifting her against the wall at the exact height he needed to slide into her body. Instinctively, her legs wrapped around his waist and her hands held onto his shoulders while he took her over and over with a forcefulness that she seemed to want as much as he did. "Yes," she repeated mindlessly, his harsh breaths near her ear competing with the sound of the spray.

He came suddenly with a growl, his hands resting flat on the 'fresher walls as his hips ground against hers. He was shaking all over, but she knew his strength wouldn't let them fall.

"I'm sorry," he said unsteadily. "I didn't mean to be so…uh, rough." He almost seemed embarrassed, and she felt a tenderness toward this sometimes abrasive, often sarcastic man who was so gentle and considerate in their most intimate moments.

"I'm fine. Actually, it was…wonderful." She reached up to slick back his wet hair, bringing his handsome face into sharp relief. In that moment, she loved him to the depths of her soul.

He smiled, kissing her lightly on her mouth. "Well now you're all dirty again," he said in mock annoyance. He reached one hand behind him for the soap, but she beat him to it.

"Aw, no you don't. It's my turn."

She moved around him in the close quarters, and he had to bite his lip to keep from moaning aloud at the feel of her wet body sliding against his overly sensitized skin. She pumped soap into her hands and began a tortuous assault on his person that would have put Jabba's knouters to shame. She literally washed him from head to toe, pausing to pay close attention to his most important areas, and Han couldn't believe how quickly he was ready for her again.

 _Cool your jets, Solo,_ he said to himself. _Don't want to kill the poor girl the first night._

To that end, he suddenly switched the spray to high. And cold.

Leia shrieked in alarm as the freezing jets of water jolted her out of her sensual languor.

"What the hell, Han! Are you crazy?! Turn it off!"

He complied after another few seconds of her sputtering and swearing, using words he was pretty sure a princess shouldn't know as he blocked her access to the controls. Abruptly, he switched it over to Dry mode, and soon heated air quickly warmed and dried them from every direction. Leia's long hair flew about her face like a whirlwind, and she yelled at him again to shut the blasted thing off—her words.

He hit the stop button, and in the immediate silence, Leia angrily attempted to get her hair out of her face and from where it had wrapped around her neck.

"What was the purpose of that?" she exclaimed.

He grinned at her expression and at her wild hair, reaching out to help her gather the thick locks at her nape so her hands could weave it into a thick braid down her back.

"Self-preservation, sweetheart," he said. "I couldn't take much more of that bath you were giving me. It called for drastic measures."

"Well next time, let me out of here before you turn on the deep freeze."

"Sorry," he said, but his eyes were laughing at her.

Hers narrowed on him as a thought occurred, and she pushed her warm body against his. She felt him immediately harden against her stomach. "Couldn't take it anymore, eh, tough guy?" Her fingernails trailed up the sides of his torso, and he shivered involuntarily.

He caught her wandering hands. "Actually, I was thinking of you, Your Worship. I didn't want to overwhelm you with my incredible stamina."

She looked briefly heavenward. "Do I look _overwhelmed_?"

He bent, brushing his lips over hers, moving along her jaw to her ear. "Trust me; if I were to take you as many times as I want to, you wouldn't be able to walk straight for a week."

"Is that a challenge?"

He lifted his head. "You don't know what you're asking for, sweetheart."

She went up on tiptoes, pressed her bare breasts to his chest, drew the lobe of his ear into her mouth for a quick suckle. Han felt like he could melt into the floor.

"Try me," she said, her hot breath agonizingly arousing.

With that, he pounded on the door release and picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder like a sack of Corellian tube roots and ran with her to Chewie's quarters. The way she laughed and slapped his ass with her dangling hands just made things even more inspiring.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

True to his word, Han's stamina seemed to have no limits, as he took her twice more that night, the second time awakening her in the early morning, covering her back with his chest, parting her legs and taking her slowly from behind while she moaned, half asleep, into the pillow.

He couldn't seem to get enough of her, and he knew they probably would both hate him in the morning when she was sore and exhausted from the night's revels. Years of sexual frustration and outright fear on both sides had built up to this night, and neither of them had imagined it would be this good between them, this natural, this fulfilling. He told himself to take it easy, that they had a lifetime together to learn every part of each other, to discover what made the other groan or sigh or cry out. In his past relationships—if you could call them that—it had only taken one or two times to get the woman out of his system, to scratch that itch and move on. Now, his princess wrapped snugly in his arms, her breathing deep and trusting, he saw no end to this desire to be with her, to hold her, to love her. His heart gave a mighty jolt at the direction of his thoughts, though just days before he'd come to the same conclusion.

"Marry me," he said quietly into the darkness. Apparently, he was not quiet enough.

She startled awake and spoke, her words slurred. "Please, no. You win. I don't think I can take it anymore."

He chuckled, pulling her closer, part of him relieved that she hadn't really heard him.

"Shhh…go back to sleep sweetheart."

And though renewed desire curled within him, he resisted this time. The princess needed her beauty sleep, and there would be time enough to ask her his question again, when she was completely conscious, and they had finished their mission to Bespin.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"This is odd," said Leia looking out the window as they entered Cloud City's air space. Unlike with their last trip to Bespin, Cloud Cars didn't escort them to the floating city, nor did flight control hail them over the comm.

"Extremely," replied Han. He didn't bother hiding his trepidation.

Eighteen hours earlier, they'd prepared the Falcon, turned on all power again, and tentatively flown into space. Much to Leia's fear, there had been no messages from the Bespin contingent. On the bright side, the hyperdrive had cooperated, though Han still planned for a complete overhaul once they reached Bespin. No way was he taking the chance again of falling uncontrollably out of hyperspace and slamming into some unknown obstacle. There were much better ways to die, he though grimly.

Now, Han's misgivings reflected Leia's, and he tried calling for clearance to land, but received no reply. As he maneuvered the Falcon through the clouds, the sky around the city was empty of incoming or outgoing spacecraft, very unlike when they were last here looking for help from Lando. It had been a bustling city at that time, filled with business beings, shoppers, and pleasure seekers. Now, after a year under Imperial control, Cloud City was bereft of life, more like a hovering ghost town than a thriving metropolis.

"I guess unless people start shooting at us, we'll find a place to land," Han said, swerving toward the same landing pad they'd used on their last visit, since they knew their way into the city from that location. Leia's eyes lit up as they emerged through a cloud bank when they saw that Luke and Lando's transport was docked on the platform adjacent to theirs. She closed her eyes a moment, reaching out with the Force, pleased to feel her brother's presence.

"He's here," she said, as Han flicked switches in preparation for landing.

He glanced her way. "Any idea where exactly?"

"No. But I don't sense that he's in pain, and I'm not sure he senses me."

Han frowned, wishing this Force stuff could be a little more specific.

When they emerged down the Falcon's ramp into the cool, fresh air of Cloud City, both Han and Leia had a strong sense of déjà vu, and it was definitely not a good thing. It was here that Lando had betrayed them, that Luke had lost his hand, that Han had been frozen in carbonite and taken away to Jabba's palace. Neither of them had expected being here would affect them so much. Leia reached for his hand, and he gladly took it, giving her a reassuring smile that didn't reach his eyes. With his other hand, he withdrew his blaster from its holster. The pair strode cautiously toward the door they knew led into the city center. They'd nearly made it when the door suddenly slid open, and Lobot emerged, his blaster drawn and pointed directly at Han's chest, while Han had instinctively aimed his own weapon. Shots fired at this proximity would mean the end for both of them.

"Please, lower your weapon and come with me," ordered the cyborg in his emotionless monotone. The implant lights on each side of his bald head glowed a dull red.

Han's eyebrows shot up. "I'm not lowering anything till you tell me where the hell Lando and Luke are."

"I was instructed by Administrator Calrissian to bring you to him immediately upon your arrival."

"Why isn't he here to meet me himself?"

"He said to tell you he was tied up at the moment, that you would understand."

Han frowned. "I _don't_ understand the blaster pointed at my heart."

Lobot seemed to have received a message within his brain, and he nodded as if in answer, then, with an eerie efficiency, he holstered the blaster and turned back toward the door.

"This way."

Han met Leia's eyes and she shrugged, but he noticed she'd taken out her blaster too and neither of them was in a hurry to put them away. Still on edge, they followed the cyborg into the city.

 **A/N: More soon. Please let me know what you think.**


	7. Conclusion

**A/N: Thank you for your patience in waiting for this chapter. I've reached the end of this tale, and I hope you have enjoyed it.**

 **Chapter 7: Conclusion**

The moment the door shut behind them, Lobot pressed a panel on a wall. A drawer slid open and the cyborg retrieved two breath masks. He turned and presented them to Han and Leia, who looked down at their gifts with wary concern.

"What's this for?" asked Han.

"A precaution. This way."

"Why aren't you wearing one then?" he called after their guide, who had already begun walking down a white corridor at a brisk pace.

"I think some cyborgs have a sort of auto filtering shield embedded in their throat and nasal cavities," Leia offered helpfully, putting on her mask. She recalled that the last time she'd worn such a device had been when the Falcon had inadvertently landed inside a space slug. She shook her head and smiled inside her mask at the memory.

She met Han's eyes above his mask, and she could tell what he was thinking as they moved down a long corridor. For a city that was supposedly repopulating after an Imperial desertion, the hall was surprisingly empty. They had to nearly run to catch up with Lobot, who had turned a corner and was out of sight. Both of them instinctively raised their blasters, and Han peaked around the corner. The corridor had opened up into a huge atrium, the morning sun of Bespin streaming in through the glass ceiling high above. Unfortunately, the effect was ruined by hundreds of bodies scattered on the white polished floor throughout the enclosure, including a few familiar forms that made Leia gasp in shock.

She moved further inside to run to them, but Han held her back with one firm arm. He nodded to what she had failed to see—the nearly invisible laser lines that indicated an active forcefield. Lobot was working at a computer kiosk on a nearby wall.

"What the hell is this?" Leia demanded, rounding on the cyborg. On the floor just beyond the forcefield, lay Luke, Lando, Chewie, and three rebel soldiers she recognized from their recent battle on Endor, all pale as death, all breathing shallowly on the hard Sullustian marble.

"Air quality is improving," Lobot commented in his usual wooden delivery.

"Wonderful," said Han sarcastically. "Now why don't you stop the mystery man routine and tell us what happened here. Last we heard, the Imperial garrison had hightailed it out of here and residents were returning to Bespin in droves."

Lobot tapped a few more buttons and turned back to the pair with military precision.

"This information is factual, as I told Administrator Calirissian before he arrived. It had seemed that the Imperials had left, but there was at least one remaining who had been waiting to sabotage us. He had been in control of monitoring Tibanna gas leaks, which can occur when the gas is brought to the city for refinement. Normally, this gas is not harmful to oxygen breathing species, but when concentrated and compressed for use in powering spacecraft, a leak can be deadly and possibly explosive. Standard protocol is to sound the alarm when such a leak is detected and direct citizens to this atrium, where a protective forcefield is activated. I believe this Imperial falsely sounded the alarm, and when a sufficient number of people had entered, he activated the forcefield and pumped poisonous levels of gas _in_ , rather that out of the enclosure, effectively trapping them to die."

Leia's head whipped around to look in fear at her brother and friends.

"So they're dying in there?" Leia said, her voice shaking with fear.

Lobot shook his head once. "I was able to eliminate the saboteur before he could pump in a deadly amount, though a few older beings unfortunately succumbed before I could begin reversal of the process. It takes much longer to purify the air and pump in clean oxygen than it did to poison them. Pumping out poisoned air was not the purpose of this enclosure. Administrator Calrissian had told me before the incident that you were on your way here, and he was conscious enough earlier to give me additional instructions regarding your arrival and the operation of the city in his absence. No one else has been allowed to land, and those who had not made it to the atrium have been instructed to stay inside, sealing themselves within apartments and hotel rooms until the danger has passed."

"What about them?" Han said, nodding to the people inside the forcefield. "Will they be okay?"

"That is the hope," Lobot replied. "They are in and out of consciousness, but it is unclear what lasting effects such exposure could have on their systems. The Imperial medical facility has been abandoned, and there are no available physicians here to treat them once the air has been cleared. There are only a few former Cloud City workers that are still loyal to Administrator Calrissian, and they are busy with air traffic control and guarding the main entrances of the city."

"I will send word for the closest Alliance medical frigate to get here as soon as possible," Leia said. "I need comm system access."

Lobot directed her to the computer kiosk he'd just been using, and she managed to contact _Home One,_ where they assured her help would arrive by the next day.

"How long have they been in there?" Han was asking Lobot.

"Nearly twenty-four hours."

Leia's face beneath her mask contorted in deep concern, and she walked as close to the forcefield as she could, her eyes focusing not only on her brother and friends, but on the others who languished on the hard floor.

"Can't someone go in there and help them?"

"We cannot open the forcefield and risk the fumes entering the rest of the city," Lobot said, in his oddly emotionless manner. "The tainted air is being pumped outside. All that can be done is being done, I assure you."

Suddenly, with one great gasp and a choking cough, Luke sat up and turned to look directly at Leia and Han. Leia nearly forgot herself and stepped too close to the forcefield. She bounced off and fell back against Han, who, without missing a beat, set the princess upright again.

"Luke! Are you okay?" she cried.

Her brother rose gingerly to his feet, his face unnaturally pale, his keen blue eyes quickly sweeping over his fellow victims and back to Han and Leia on the other side of the field.

"I'm fine. When the others began to drop from the gas, I put myself in a trance, where my breathing slowed and the Force allowed my body to fight the harmful effects. I can sense that the air is almost clean enough to breathe normally." He smiled wryly. "As usual, Han, your timing is perfect."

Han's eyebrows shot up, recognizing sarcasm when he heard it.

"Yeah, well, if I'd come much earlier, we'd all be in the same boat with you, Junior. Instead of wasting oxygen talking, would you mind checking the others, see if they're okay?"

Luke smirked and bent to Lando, Chewie, and then randomly to some of the others. He put his fingers to their necks or wrists, lifted closed eyelids. He hesitated over some of the alien species, unsure where to check for a pulse, though he didn't sense an aura of death around them as he did with those who had perished earlier.

"Heart rates seem strong for most," he said. "Some of them seem to be starting to come out of it. Do we know how this happened?"

"Lobot says a hold-out Imperial faked the alarm and gassed you when you'd taken shelter," Han said.

"Clever," said Luke, frowning.

"He has been eliminated," Lobot added.

Luke nodded once in appreciation. He picked up his go-bag on the floor near where he'd been laying, rifled through it till he found a Rebel-issue canteen. He opened the lid and took a long swallow of water. Suddenly lightheaded, he sat down heavily.

"Luke?" Leia said in concern.

"Sorry…I just need to rest a bit…"

They watched as he closed his eyes, his face relaxing, his breathing becoming obviously shallower as he sat cross-legged just out of their reach.

Leia glanced at Lobot. "Any way you can speed up the purification process?"

"I will try, Your Highness." He moved to the computer kiosk again, while Han drew Leia closer to his side, his arm draping over her slim shoulders. He wished he could remove his mask and bury his face in her hair, offer a bit of comfort to both of them with a warm kiss.

"They'll be all right," he whispered instead, his eyes on Chewie and Lando, wanting with all his heart to believe his own words.

"I hope so," she murmured. "I just feel so helpless."

"Me too, sweetheart." And for Han Solo, that was always the worst feeling in the world.

Xxxxxxxx

The medical frigate arrived the next morning, and by then Lobot deemed the air clean enough inside the forcefield for him to disengage it. Already, some of the victims of the gassing had begun to sit up, Luke offering what assistance he could. The medics descended on their patients the minute the forcefield was lifted, and hovering gurneys were brought from Cloud City's own abandoned medical center. Han and Leia worked alongside the medics, using their own skills learned on battle fields and from personal experience to help. Fresh oxygen masks covered every face, intravenous lines offering hydration and medicines revived most of the victims. In all, eleven had died, mainly the very old and very young.

That night, Lando sat up in his hospital bed, his expression bereft. Han sat in a chair between him and Chewie, who was arguing with his familiar grunts and growls that he no longer needed the extra oxygen.

"Quit being a baby," Han said, refastening the mask on his hairy friend's face.

"It makes me sick to think of how much the Imperials have taken from me, from my people here," Lando said sullenly.

Han raised an eyebrow, but didn't remind him that his first mistake had been thinking the Empire would ever deal fairly with him. Han still had the carbonfreeze-burn scars as a souvenir of that miscalculation.

"In a day or two, you'll be up and around, administrating to your heart's content."

"Yeah," said Lando. And then he grinned beneath the mask. "And from what I can see, they didn't have time to make too much of a mess of things. I just need to recruit some good people to help me get things back to the way they should be."

Leia and Luke joined them, having both been at work nursing the recovering victims. After a thorough scan, the medics were surprised to discover that Luke had suffered no permanent damage and was all but completely recovered, way beyond the status of the other victims.

"Mon Mothma is sending a small contingent to stay here and help you get things going again, and the rest of the fleet is making its way here," said Leia. "We could really use some of that Tibanna gas to buck up our ships and firepower. The remnants of the Empire will be regrouping soon, and we need to be ready for them. It's not over yet."

"Anything I can do to rid the galaxy of the Empire, I'm all in, you can trust me on that Leia." She recognized the determined anger in Lando's voice, the desire for vengeance that had driven her since she's seen Alderaan blown up before her eyes.

She reached over and touched his hand. "I know," she said softly. He curled his fingers around hers and squeezed, as a new trust and understanding passed between them. Witnessing that unspoken communion, Han frowned at the old familiar jealousy that sparked within him. Even masked and in a hospital bed, Lando Calrissian was still dangerously charming. He got up from his chair.

"All right, all right. If you two can stop with the love fest, Leia and I have some things to attend to."

She turned to look at Han in surprise. "What things?"

" _Important_ things," he insisted, his hazel eyes intent on hers. She stifled a grin and let him take her hand from Lando's.

"I'll see you and Chewie later," she called, as Han pulled her away toward the hospital exit. Luke and Lando smiled knowingly after them, and Chewie softly voiced his satisfaction.

"Yeah, Chewie. Looks like our little plan worked," Lando said.

Luke nodded, though his own smile turned rather melancholy. While he would likely gain a brother-in-law, he'd lost a potential Jedi knight, and who knew how many of those were left in the galaxy.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

"Would you stop tugging me along so fast? I'm not your Sibian hound!"

"You got that backwards, Sweetheart," he said, not missing a beat. " _Sibians_ do the tugging."

Leia's answering growl sounded quite similar to his home planet's attack dogs, he mused. Wisely, he kept that bit of trivia to himself.

The small crowds once again moving through the City Center parted as they passed, and Leia flushed in embarrassment, excusing their rudeness as they bumped into various beings not in as big a hurry as Han Solo apparently was.

"Where are we going anyway?" she asked breathlessly. Abruptly, he stopped before an elevator. Automatically sensing their arrival, the door slid open and Han pulled her inside the empty glass tube.

"Level 120," said Han gruffly to both Leia and the elevator's computer system.

Before the door had even closed again, he had taken her in his arms, kissing her passionately while her mind went blank and she felt almost faint for lack of air combined with the swiftness of the elevator's ascent.

He lifted his head at last, his eyes blazing down into hers. "I've been dying to do that all day," he said, his lips quirking at her dazed expression. "It was nice not having to share you on the trip here."

She smiled into his kiss.

The elevator stopped smoothly, and once again the door slid open.

"Level 120," announced the computer.

With another quick kiss, Han led Leia down the marble and glass windowed hallway. They could see the brilliant colors of the sunset, the pinks and yellows even more beautiful than Bespin's morning sunrises. Han stopped abruptly at what looked like a dead end. Leia watched bemusedly as he experimentally touched a few decorative panels in the wall, until a hidden door slid open.

Han grinned in satisfaction, Leia's eyes widening at the apartment he'd revealed.

"Lando told me he kept this place as a sort of a safe room, both for himself and sometimes important VIPs visiting the city who were obsessed with security or privacy. He purposefully left this room out of the city's schematics."

The pair stepped inside and looked around the opulent apartment in appreciation. Everything was white, from the floors to the walls to the sumptuous sofas that faced a wall entirely made of one-way glass. It had the effect of making them feel like they were floating among the clouds. Passengers on any ship flying outside, however, would never know this was a private suite.

"Looks like the Empire never found this place. Lucky for us."

"Impressive," she said as they moved to the window to look at the precipitous drop into nothingness. It made Leia feel a little dizzy. "But why are we here? I should really be helping with the care of the victims—"

Han turned her so she was facing him, his only reply his deft fingers reaching out to unfasten the tabs of her Rebel-issue fatigue top. She shivered at his touch and looked down at what he was doing before meeting his mischievous eyes.

"Han…"

But with each touch of his warm hands on her revealed skin, she felt her knees grow weaker, until they both melted to the floor, Leia's body resting on the fluffy white fur rug from some unfortunate snow creature.

They made love in the ethereal glow of Bespin's sunset, the darkening sky finding them sated and sleeping, an exhausted tangle of bare limbs and unbound princess hair.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Han awoke in the darkness of night, his stomach empty. Leia stirred beside him on the fur carpet, nuzzling into his chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, his heart full, feelings of a now-familiar tenderness causing him to close his eyes against their sudden mistiness. He kissed her temple and she opened her eyes, the habits of soldiering making her instantly awake. His growling stomach made her laugh softly, and his abdomen tightened reflexively when she caressed him there.

"Hungry?"

"I could eat a Rancor," he said. "Shall we see if there's anything left to eat in this palace?"

"Sure. My sudden abduction forced me to miss supper in the makeshift mess hall." The Rebels had taken over a fancy City Center restaurant to feed the troops and the gas victims.

Han grinned, though he was completely unapologetic, given how they'd been occupying their time.

"Hmm. I guess neither of us can live on love alone." He gently kissed her mouth before slowly extricating himself from her arms and hair. He groaned a little as his back hitched in protest. He was getting too old to sleep on the floor.

"Someday we'll have to try this in an actual bed," she said, echoing his own thoughts.

"Good idea, Princess, though there's something to be said about roughing it."

The darkness hid her blush. He rose and padded naked to the kitchen, while Leia went to the large bedroom to find the facilities, the auto-lights making her flinch at their sudden brightness as she entered the plushly decorated rooms. She returned with a couple of silky robes from the closet to find Han slipping two packaged meals into the re-hydrator. He gratefully accepted the borrowed robe-it wasn't nearly as much fun to be naked when Leia wasn't.

"The storage pantry is stocked," he said, and she grinned when he set down an expensive bottle of one of Coruscant's finest vintages on the long dining table.

"Nothing but the best for Lando, I see."

Han snorted softly in agreement.

While their meal was being prepared, she found plates, flatware, and wine glasses. As an afterthought, she also lit a large candle she'd found, and the sweet scent of starlight-bee nectar filled the air.

When their meals were ready, Leia transferred the contents to plates, and they dined companionably at one end of a very long table. She suddenly sensed Han's mounting tension, saw that he was just picking at his food despite his stomach's earlier claims.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Though his expression was carefully blank, he couldn't quite hide the nervous glimmer in his eyes. He took a fortifying drink of wine.

"What would you say if I…if I asked you to marry me?"

Leia's heart leapt in her chest, then began a mad tattoo that she could hear pounding in her head. She set down her fork, her mind racing. A thought seemed to come from nowhere, but it was suddenly imperative that she know his feelings on the matter. They'd never spoken of this before, and it occurred to her quite belatedly that she should have asked him long ago.

"That depends…do you want children?"

He looked genuinely startled, and his gaze flew to her abdomen. "What? Is there something I should know about?"

She had to laugh at that. "No. I mean, not that I know of."

He sighed in obvious relief. "Uh, yeah. Kids would be good…someday."

A quick image of a little girl with long, dark hair tied in braids and a lanky boy holding a toy blaster flitted through his mind, and Han realized that yes, he would like that very, very much. With this woman.

"How many?" he asked, just out of curiosity.

"Twenty-three," she suggested, deadpan. His eyebrows shot up before he caught the humor in her eyes. She was gleefully messing with him—or maybe testing him was a better description. Well, two could play at that game.

"Sorry, but in that case, the answer is no, Princess. Hope that's not a deal-breaker."

She smiled then, reaching for his hand, her eyes warm and watering with emotion.

"I suppose I could compromise. How about two?"

He brought her hand to his lips, felt the fluttering pulse at her wrist. "I guess I could live with that. So…what do you say, then Sweetheart?"

"To what? You haven't actually asked me anything yet."

She was bound and determined not to make this easy on him. But he supposed that was the story of their entire relationship; why change now? He smiled, allowing all the love he felt for her shine from his eyes.

"Marry me, Princess….Please?"

She squeezed the hand that still held hers, and she rose from the table, walking around it to sit on his lap. She kissed his waiting mouth slowly, sweetly, her hand sliding through his hair, her tongue tasting the honeyed wine on his lips.

"Yes," she breathed. "Since you asked so nicely."

He chuckled with pure joy, pulling her even closer, ravaging her mouth till both of them were breathing heavily, their cooling dinners long forgotten.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

At sunrise the next morning, Leia found her brother on the roof of Cloud City's highest building. She didn't question how she'd known he'd be there, but she'd felt the tug of the Force compelling her, leading her to him. The air was almost too thin to breath, the beauty of the sunrise so beautiful it nearly hurt to look at it.

She joined him at the railing, the gentle breeze tousling his brown hair. When she'd first met him, his hair had been longer and streaked blonde by Tatooine's suns. He'd been innocent and boyish and she'd loved him immediately, though looking back now, she'd misinterpreted their connection as romantic. It embarrassed her to think of it now.

Beside her, Luke grinned. "That was a very confusing time," he muttered, reading her thoughts, his once thinking himself in love with his own sister flooding him with renewed mortification.

"But we were both innocent, weren't we?" He continued. "How could we have recognized our feelings of being somehow a part of each other, as strong as it was, as sibling affection? We had no reason to believe we were related." He looked heavenward with amused irony. "I blame Ben." He thought he heard the old man's _hmph_ of apology, carried to him on the wind. His smile widened.

Leia reached for his hand, the one not gloved and artificial, but warm and real and Luke. She leaned against his strong shoulder.

"Yet another thing we must put behind us," she said. "There is still so much ahead of us, though, so much to do to rebuild."

"Yes. And now I sense we will once again be on separate paths to accomplish this."

"I'm sorry," she said sheepishly.

He looked down into her face. "Don't be. I suppose I knew all along what you would choose. You just had to figure it out for yourself. But there are others out there. The Emperor didn't kill all the Jedi, nor did our father. There are those who will need to be trained, if we are to restore peace to the galaxy. And someday, I will teach your children, if that is their destiny."

Leia blushed, but then she had a vision: a tall, dark haired young man who looked like Han, wielding a lightsaber while Luke stood by, offering direction. She gasped, and the image faded away.

"It's the future you see," said Luke. "I've had glimpses too."

She felt weak with the emotions of it. "I—I've never seen the future before. Does it always come true like that?"

Luke shook his head. "No. Yoda used to tell me that the future is always in motion. In my experience, only the feelings surrounding the visions seem to be accurate; the specifics shift and change."

Ben Kenobi had briefly mentioned this Yoda to her that night by the fire on Endor, and Luke had told her after she'd rescued him from Bespin months ago that he'd been in training on Dagobah, but he had never given her specifics, as if it were too painful to talk about it. Someday, she would ask Luke more about this training, about the lessons the Jedi master had taught him. She realized she would need some help understanding and controlling how the Force flowed within her, even though she would never be a Jedi knight.

"I'm going to marry Han," she announced suddenly. Luke drew her into his arms for a delighted hug.

"I'm happy for you both. And I can't wait to see Han all decked out in white sateen for a formal Alderaanian binding ceremony. And wait till he finds out that he has to _sing_ his vows."

Leia laughed, gently pulling away to resume her position at Luke's side. "Let's not break it to him yet," she said. "Now that I finally got him, I don't want to scare him off."

"I don't think there's much danger of that. Han Solo would sing in a Batarkan fire storm for you, and gladly."

"I know he would," she said softly.

They were quiet a moment, enjoying the beautiful sunrise, each lost in their own private thoughts. Leia glanced down at Luke's gloved hand resting on the railing.

"It must be difficult to be back here," she said.

Luke nodded. "A little. My life changed forever here. Not just with the loss of my hand, but it's where Father told me who he was. He gave me a choice back then: follow him, rule the galaxy as father and son. He was very persuasive."

Leia looked up at him in surprise.

"When you are training to be a Jedi," Luke continued, sensing her disbelief, "it's like the Dark Side fights against you, throwing in temptations, offering you power and strength beyond imagining. It takes more willpower than you might expect to resist."

She covered his gloved hand, holding his gaze. "But you _did_ resist, in all your confrontations with Vader, and with the Emperor."

Luke chuckled a bit without humor. "Yeah, well, the pull of the Dark Side is strong, Leia. I'd be lying if I said I was never torn, never tempted. This is why I need to offer you at least some mental training. There will be those who can sense your Force sensitivity, and they will seek to capitalize on it. If it becomes public knowledge that you are actually a Skywalker, you might have people try to manipulate you. You must learn to resist this too, to construct walls around your mind and soul."

"I agree," she said. "I was actually just thinking about this. I don't want to become a Jedi, but there is no denying that the Force is with me. I need to hone my defenses, to be able to find some control…"

"That, I can teach you."

Leia smiled. "You think you could teach me a little about using a few Jedi mind tricks on Han? I mean, look at what I've signed up for. It would be nice if I could maybe win an argument once in awhile."

Luke laughed, hugging her closer to his side. "Those tricks only work on the weak minded, Sister, and Han is nothing if not strong-willed. Unfortunately, you'll have to learn to deal with him by other means. I'm sure you'll think of something."

Leia flushed at the implication.

They fell silent again, the newfound siblings, each recognizing that coming back to Bespin had been a good thing, a healing thing for all of them. This city had once represented loss, but as they breathed in the fresh Bespin air, bathed in the warm sun of a new day, all they could feel now was hope.

 **THE END**

 **A/N: Thank you for reading. I enjoyed writing for this fandom, and I'm thankful to those who found this story and gifted me with favorites and reviews. May the Force be With You!**


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